Teva Discontinues Development of Cluster Headache Drug

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has announced Tuesday its decision to discontinue the clinical development program for fremanezumab as a treatment for cluster headaches, after an analysis of a phase 3 study revealed the program’s goal is an unlikely achievement. A previous study that tested the drug’s potential for treating chronic cluster headache was discontinued in June 2018.

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Under Teva’s brand name Ajovy, Fremanezumab has already been approved in the U.S. and in Europe as a preventative migraine treatment.

“Despite these results, we are continuing to evaluate if fremanezumab treatment can provide clinical benefits in additional diseases,” said in a statement Tushar Shah, head of global specialty clinical development at Teva. Teva is currently conducting a phase 2 fremanezumab trial for the treatment of post-traumatic headache.

The company stated its development expenses for the program were minor, mostly because fremanezumab was previously developed by the company for another indication.