Investing.com -- Bausch Health (NYSE:BHC) stock plunged 8% Friday morning after the company announced disappointing results from its Phase 3 clinical trials for a potential hepatic encephalopathy treatment.
The pharmaceutical company reported that its global RED-C clinical program, which evaluated amorphous-rifaximin solid soluble dispersion (SSD) in adults with liver cirrhosis, failed to meet its primary endpoint despite being safe and well-tolerated. The trials were designed to test the drug’s effectiveness in preventing first episodes of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis patients.
"We are disappointed in the results, as there is currently no approved treatment for these patients. We are currently reviewing the full dataset to determine potential new development opportunities," said Thomas J. Appio, Chief Executive Officer of Bausch Health.
The RED-C program consisted of two global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trials involving more than 1,000 patients across 398 sites in 17 countries. The trials specifically targeted adults with liver cirrhosis who had no prior hepatic encephalopathy episodes.
Cirrhosis ranks as the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited by the company. Hepatic encephalopathy is a serious complication of cirrhosis that affects brain function.
Despite this setback, Bausch Health stated it remains committed to developing new treatments across hepatology and other therapeutic areas.
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