BeiGene Discontinues Ociperlimab Development, Dealing Another Blow to TIGIT Inhibitors

BeiGene, the Chinese biopharmaceutical company in the process of rebranding to BeOne Medicines, has announced the termination of its phase 3 trial for ociperlimab, an anti-TIGIT antibody. This decision marks another setback for the once-promising class of TIGIT inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy.

Ociperlimab Trial Termination

The phase 3 study, which began in 2021, was evaluating ociperlimab in combination with BeiGene's PD-1 inhibitor Tevimbra against Merck & Co.'s Keytruda in patients with PD-L1-high, locally advanced/recurrent or untreated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The trial's independent data monitoring committee recommended termination after an early analysis suggested it would not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival.

Dr. Mark Lanasa, Chief Medical Officer for solid tumors at BeiGene, stated, "We evaluate our clinical programs to focus our resources on the most promising clinically differentiated candidates while thoughtfully de-prioritizing others." The company noted that no new safety signals were observed during the study.

Broader Implications for TIGIT Inhibitors

This development is the latest in a series of disappointments for TIGIT inhibitors across the pharmaceutical industry:

1. Novartis returned ociperlimab to BeiGene in 2023, just two years after acquiring it for $300 million.
2. Roche's tiragolumab has failed three phase 3 trials in various types of lung cancer.
3. Arcus Biosciences and Gilead Sciences halted a study in early 2024.
4. Merck discontinued its TIGIT candidate vibostolimab at the end of 2024.

Despite these setbacks, some companies are persisting with TIGIT research. Roche has not completely abandoned tiragolumab, and GSK initiated a phase 3 trial of its iTeos Therapeutics-partnered candidate, belrestotug, last year.

Industry Perspective

The pharmaceutical industry has invested heavily in TIGIT inhibitors, believing they could counter tumor-mediated immune suppression. However, clinical results have thus far failed to justify the significant financial outlays.

As the field continues to evolve, companies are reassessing their pipelines and resource allocation. BeiGene's decision to terminate ociperlimab's development exemplifies the industry's need to prioritize candidates with the most promising clinical differentiation and potential for success.