Pfizers SCD Setbacks Weigh on Stock as $800M Volume Ranks 114th

Pfizer (PFE) closed on Aug. 15 with a 0.12% gain, trading with a daily volume of $0.80 billion, ranking 114th in market activity. The stock’s muted performance followed the biopharma giant’s announcement of a failed Phase 3 trial for inclacumab, an experimental P-selectin inhibitor targeting sickle cell disease (SCD). The THRIVE-131 study, which enrolled 241 patients, failed to meet its primary endpoint of reducing vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) over 48 weeks compared to placebo. The drug was generally well-tolerated but did not demonstrate statistically significant efficacy. The company emphasized its ongoing commitment to SCD research despite the setback, with plans to share detailed data analyses with the medical community.

Pfizer’s SCD portfolio faces ongoing challenges beyond the inclacumab trial. In September 2024, the company withdrew its approved drug OXBRYTA (voxelotor) from global markets pending further evaluation of VOCs and fatal event imbalances in real-world data. A next-generation candidate, osivelotor, remains on hold in Phase 3 trials due to a partial clinical hold imposed by the FDA. These developments highlight regulatory and clinical risks in the SCD space, where unmet medical needs remain high but commercial pathways are complex. The failure of THRIVE-131 adds pressure to other pipeline assets to deliver tangible progress.

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