Eli Lilly and Company said it will cease development of basal insulin peglispro (BIL), a potential treatment for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, in order to focus research and development efforts on other assets in its portfolio and pipeline.

In February 2015, Lilly announced it was delaying regulatory submission in order to better understand and characterize the potential effects, if any, of changes in liver fat observed with BIL treatment compared with insulin glargine treatment in a Phase III trial. No drug-induced liver impairment or Hy’s Law cases were observed in the clinical development program of more than 6,000 patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes treated for up to 18 months (approximately 3,900 patients treated with BIL).

Over the past several months, Lilly engaged with regulatory authorities and other external experts to assess potential development plans for BIL that could provide additional clarity on the liver fat data observed in the trials. “The decision to stop the program was informed by these conversations and not by any new safety signals and was ultimately driven by the decision to focus research and development efforts on other potential treatments,” said Lilly in a statement.

“While we are encouraged by the efficacy data we observed for BIL, we know that moving forward would have required a significant amount of time and investment with no assurance that we would find conclusive answers,” said Enrique Conterno, president, Lilly Diabetes, in a statement. “We are disappointed in the outcome for BIL, but we have an unprecedented opportunity to build upon the industry’s broadest diabetes portfolio, which includes six new treatments approved since the middle of 2014. Lilly remains fully committed to innovative research in the diabetes space, including insulins, as we strive to make life better for people around the world.”

BIL, discovered and developed in Lilly Research Laboratories, was being studied as a once-daily treatment for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. BIL is a hepato-preferential basal insulin. Its activity profile is derived from its reduced effect in peripheral tissue, making it more similar to endogenous insulin compared to other exogenous insulins with a conventional activity profile.

Source: Eli Lilly and Company