SNY, TEVA Stocks Jump on Encouraging Data From IBD Drug Study

Sanofi SNY and partner Teva Pharmaceuticals TEVA announced positive data from the phase IIb RELIEVE UCCD study on their investigational anti-TL1A therapy, duvakitug (formerly TEV’574), for the treatment of Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The study met its primary endpoints for both diseases.Treatment With SNY-TEVA Drug Exhibits Best-in-Class PotentialIn the UC group, 36.2% of patients who received a low dose of the drug and 47.8% of patients who received a high dose achieved clinical remission compared to 20.45% for placebo.For the CD group, 26.1% of patients who received a low dose and 47.8% of patients who took a high dose achieved endoscopic response compared to 13% in the placebo group.Based on the above results and subject to regulatory discussions, Sanofi and Teva intend to start a late-stage study on the drug across both UC and CD indications.The companies also plan to report detailed results from the RELIEVE UCCD study at a medical meeting next year.Stock Performances of SNY & TEVAInvestors were impressed with the study results, which sent shares of both Sanofi and Teva soaring on Tuesday. Some Wall Street analysts even pointed out that the results for the Sanofi-Teva drug were even better than those reported by rivals Merck and Roche, which are also developing their respective anti-TL1A therapies.Sanofi stock rose nearly 7%. Year to date, the stock fell 1.6% against the industry’s 5.3% growth.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchShares of Teva jumped 26% post the announcement, even hitting a six-year high of $21.05. Year to date, the stock has doubled in market value compared with the industry’s 11.2% growth.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchTerms of Partnership Between SNY & TEVALast year, Sanofi in-licensed joint development and commercialization rights from Teva for duvakitug. Per the agreement terms, Teva will lead the commercialization of duvakitug in Europe, Israel and specified other countries, while Sanofi will be responsible for commercializing the drug in North America, Japan, other parts of Asia and the rest of the world.Per the terms, Sanofi and Teva will equally share the development costs of duvakitug globally, as well as net profits and losses in major markets. In other markets, SNY will be liable to make tiered royalty payments to Teva on the drug’s net sales. Sanofi will lead the upcoming phase III development program for duvakitug.In return for these rights, SNY paid TEVA an upfront payment of $500 million. Teva is also eligible to receive up to $1 billion in milestone payments.Competition in the IBD SpaceBoth UC and CD indications are primary forms of IBD, marked by chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. In recent years, there has been a surge in the prevalence of these disorders due to genetic factors, environmental factors and lifestyle changes. Immune system irregularities, higher diagnosis rates, increased focus on early diagnosis and favorable reimbursement policies in developed countries drive the demand for IBD treatments.The targeted IBD market is highly competitive. Some key players in this space are Johnson & Johnson JNJ and AbbVie ABBV, which have the strongest portfolios of immunology drugs and pipeline candidates.J&J boasts a strong immunology portfolio with blockbusters like Stelara and Tremfya. A much older drug, Stelara, is already approved to treat several IBD indications, including CD and UC, across the United States and the European Union. J&J added more than $8 billion from Stelara sales in the first nine months of 2024.Another successful drug in J&J’s portfolio is its newer immunology drug, Tremfya, which recorded sales of $2.7 billion in the first nine months of 2024. Tremfya was approved by the FDA for UC indication in September, with a similar regulatory filing under review in the European Union. It is also under review by the FDA and EMA for CD indication. J&J expects Tremfya to be a $5 billion product with potential approvals in both CD and UC indications.ABBV’s key immunology products, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, are performing extremely well, bolstered by approval across multiple IBD indications, which should support top-line growth in the next few years. AbbVie has already raked in nearly $10 billion from the combined product sales of both these drugs in the first nine months of 2024.ABBV has also been engaged in an acquisition spree since the beginning of this year to strengthen its leadership in the immunology space. In 2024, it acquired smaller biotechs, Landos Biopharma and Celsius Therapeutics, which are making novel drugs for treating IBD.Last week, ABBV announced its intent to acquire privately held Nimble Therapeutics for $200 million in cash to explore the potential of novel oral therapies in immunology.A newer entrant in this market space is Eli Lilly, whose IL-23p19 antibody Omvoh was approved by the FDA last year for use in UC indication. A regulatory filing for the drug is currently under review, seeking label expansion in CD indication.Sanofi Price Sanofi price | Sanofi QuoteTeva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Price Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. price | Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. QuoteZacks Rank of SNY & TEVASanofi and Teva currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Free Today: Profiting from The Future’s Brightest Energy SourceThe demand for electricity is growing exponentially. At the same time, we’re working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. Nuclear energy is an ideal replacement.Leaders from the US and 21 other countries recently committed to TRIPLING the world’s nuclear energy capacities. This aggressive transition could mean tremendous profits for nuclear-related stocks – and investors who get in on the action early enough.Our urgent report, Atomic Opportunity: Nuclear Energy's Comeback, explores the key players and technologies driving this opportunity, including 3 standout stocks poised to benefit the most.Download Atomic Opportunity: Nuclear Energy's Comeback free today.Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Sanofi (SNY): Free Stock Analysis Report Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): Free Stock Analysis Report Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA): Free Stock Analysis Report AbbVie Inc. (ABBV): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks