STAT+: Heart failure drug from Tenax Therapeutics fails in pivotal study

The trial had been closely watched even if the outcome was seen as a crapshoot Adobe Adam Feuerstein is a senior writer and biotech columnist, reporting on the crossroads of drug development, business, Wall Street, and biotechnology. He is also a co-host of the weekly biotech podcast The Readout Loud and author of the newsletter Adam’s Biotech Scorecard. You can reach Adam on Signal at stataf.54. Tenax Therapeutics reported negative results Monday from a late-stage clinical trial evaluating an experimental treatment for a type of heart failure associated with high blood pressure in the lungs. Shares of the biotech company plunged 84% to $2 in early trading. In the Phase 3 study called LEVEL, Tenax’s drug, an oral formulation of levosimendan, improved exercise capacity by 14 meters on a six-minute walking test compared to an improvement of 10.4 meters for a placebo. The difference was not statistically significant, failing to achieve the study’s primary efficacy goal, the company said. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily coverage and analysis of the biotech sector — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Adam Feuerstein is a senior writer and biotech columnist, reporting on the crossroads of drug development, business, Wall Street, and biotechnology. He is also a co-host of the weekly biotech podcast The Readout Loud and author of the newsletter Adam’s Biotech Scorecard. You can reach Adam on Signal at stataf.54.