Surrozen Discontinues Hepatitis Drug, Shifts Focus to Ophthalmology Pipeline

Surrozen, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has announced a significant shift in its strategic focus, discontinuing its sole clinical-stage drug candidate and pivoting towards its preclinical ophthalmology pipeline. This decision comes in the wake of disappointing results from an early-stage trial of the company's hepatitis drug.

Hepatitis Drug SZN-043 Discontinued

Surrozen has made the decision to discontinue SZN-043, its clinical-stage candidate for the treatment of severe alcohol-associated hepatitis. The drug, which was being evaluated in a phase 1b trial, failed to demonstrate sufficient clinical benefit to warrant further investment.

Despite initial optimism based on reductions in bilirubin and MELD scores, as well as improvements in AST and ALT levels (biomarkers of liver damage) in a majority of patients, the company ultimately determined that the drug's performance did not justify continued development. Craig Parker, CEO of Surrozen, stated, "While treatment with SZN-043 was safe and well-tolerated and demonstrated positive changes in liver function assays, there was not a sufficient early signal of clinical benefit to warrant further investment given the challenges associated with an acutely sick target population and a lengthy clinical development path."

Strategic Pivot to Ophthalmology

In light of the setback in its hepatitis program, Surrozen is refocusing its efforts on its ophthalmology pipeline, which the company believes holds significant promise. Parker emphasized the potential of their retinal ophthalmology programs, stating, "Importantly, our retinal ophthalmology programs represent novel combinations of clinically validated targets for treating a broad spectrum of serious eye diseases."

The company's ophthalmology pipeline includes SZN-413, a bispecific antibody targeting Fzd4-mediated Wnt signaling, which is being developed in collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim. This candidate is currently in preclinical development for retinal vascular-associated diseases. Additionally, Surrozen has four other preclinical eye drugs in its portfolio, targeting Fzd4, Fzd127, or VEGF.

Ongoing Pipeline Optimization

This strategic shift is part of Surrozen's broader efforts to streamline its pipeline and focus on areas with the highest potential for success. In recent years, the company has made several decisions to narrow its focus, including:

1. Discontinuing a clinical-stage inflammatory bowel disease treatment in 2024
2. Halting development of two preclinical assets targeting severe dry eye and Fuchs' dystrophy in 2023

These moves reflect Surrozen's commitment to allocating resources to programs with the greatest likelihood of clinical and commercial success.