AstraZeneca's blood cancer drug, Calquence, failed in a phase 2 trial to help hospitalized COVID-19 patients recover, the drugmaker said Nov. 12.
A group of patients taking Calquence in addition to receiving standard care didn't show fewer deaths or respiratory failures.
"While the [trial] results are disappointing, we remain committed to advancing science that helps patients during this unprecedented global pandemic, including clinical trials for the AstraZeneca Oxford coronavirus vaccine and our long-acting antibody combination," said José Baselga, AstraZeneca's executive vice president of oncology research and development.
Calquence is one of many existing drugs approved to treat other conditions that have been tested against COVID-19.
AstraZeneca said this trial won't have any effect on Calquence's approval for treating blood cancers, and no new safety concerns were found.
Read the full news release here.