Merck, seen as leading the race to win approval for a more targeted type of MS drug, said in April that U.S. regulators had paused enrolment of new patients into a trial testing the drug, evobrutinib, knocking the German drugmaker's share price.
"The readout of our Phase 3 study is going to happen in December," she added of the pivotal study in the clinical trials process.
Novartis (NOVN.S), also in the race, said in April that no signs of liver damage had been seen in trials testing its anti-inflammatory drug candidate remibrutinib so far.
Roche (ROG.S) said in May that its BTK inhibitor against MS, reduced brain lesions associated with the disease in a mid-stage trial and that no new safety concerns had emerged.
Reporting by Ludwig Burger Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Germany's Merck, Belen Garijo, ROG.S, Ludwig Burger, Bill Berkrot
Organizations:
Germany's, Merck, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Reuters, Rivals, Sanofi, Novartis, Thomson
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FRANKFURT, U.S, Darmstadt