A bad day for Molecular Partners

Amgen’s move to drop MP0310, one of four Molecular Partners darpin projects currently in clinical trials, completed a double whammy of bad news for the Swiss biotech yesterday.

Earlier in the day Novartis revealed that another of Molecular Partners’ clinical-stage darpins, the Covid antiviral ensovibep, would require a phase 3 trial to be carried out before it could be given US emergency use authorisation. Not only does this cast doubt over the viability of this asset, questions might again be raised over the entire darpin approach.