Johnson & Johnson Discontinues Dengue Drug Study

(Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson has announced the discontinuation of a mid-stage field study examining the efficacy of its experimental pill aimed at preventing dengue. This decision follows a reprioritization of the drugmaker’s research and development (R&D) portfolio related to communicable diseases.

The company confirmed that no safety issues were identified and presented data showing that six of ten participants treated with the drug mosnodenvir had no detectable dengue virus in their blood after receiving an injection of the dengue virus. This data was initially shared by J&J (NYSE: JNJ) during an October presentation linked to another mid-stage study.

Mosnodenvir operates by blocking the action of two viral proteins, effectively preventing the dengue virus from replicating.

Johnson & Johnson stated that the efficacy data from the now-discontinued field study will be released once all final analyses are completed.

Dengue fever, often asymptomatic, is infamously known as “break bone fever” due to the extreme joint pain it can cause. Approximately half of the global population is at risk for dengue, with the World Health Organization estimating between 100 million to 400 million infections occur yearly due to mosquito transmission.