Vor Bio says its experimental drug slowed loss of kidney function in late-stage study

Oct 22 (Reuters) – US biotech company Vor Bio said on Thursday its experimental kidney disease drug slowed the loss of kidney function and reduced the risk of disease progression in a late-stage study.

The study included patients with IgA nephropathy, a disease that can eventually lead to kidney failure.

• Drug telitacicept met the study’s main goal and largely preserved kidney function over two years, while patients on placebo saw a steeper decline

• Vor Bio said the treatment reduced the risk of a confirmed 30% decline in kidney function by 89% and the risk of a confirmed 40% decline by 81% compared with placebo

• No patient receiving telitacicept reached a predefined kidney failure endpoint, compared with five patients in the placebo group, including two who required dialysis, the company said

• Protein levels in urine fell 60.3% from baseline after 104 weeks while rising 0.9% in the placebo group, Vor Bio said

• The company added that the reduction in protein levels was maintained after patients switched from weekly dosing to every-other-week dosing

• Telitacicept received conditional approval in China in June for adults with IgA nephropathy at risk of disease progression. Vor Bio holds rights to develop and market the drug outside Greater China

(Reporting by Sahil Pandey in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas)