STAT+: Silence Therapeutics aims at Takeda with new data in rare blood cancer
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- Silence Therapeutics reported Phase 2 data showing its experimental drug divesiran stabilized red blood cell levels in a 48-patient trial of the rare blood cancer polycythemia vera.
- Divesiran drove a clinical response in 88% of patients dosed every 6 or 12 weeks, compared with 19% of patients on placebo in the same trial.
- Polycythemia vera is marked by runaway red blood cell production and puts patients at risk of life-threatening blood clots, bleeds, and other cancers.
- The divesiran results could position Silence to compete with a drug from Takeda Pharmaceuticals that is nearing approval for the same condition.
- Silence released the Phase 2 trial results on Monday.
Why it matters: Silence Therapeutics is now positioned to challenge Takeda Pharmaceuticals in the polycythemia vera space, where Takeda's competing drug is nearing approval. The 88% response rate versus 19% on placebo is a stark efficacy gap in a 48-patient trial, and with both drugs targeting the same rare blood cancer market, physicians and payers could soon have a meaningful choice in how they treat patients at risk of clots and bleeds.
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