Johnson & Johnson announced Thursday it will discontinue development of aticaprant for major depressive disorder, dealing a significant blow to what was once considered a promising blockbuster candidate in the company’s neuroscience pipeline.
The pharmaceutical giant revealed that while the experimental drug demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability profiles, it failed to show sufficient effectiveness in treating patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and anhedonia, a key symptom characterized by the inability to experience pleasure or maintain interest in activities.
The decision comes after conducting extensive late-stage clinical trials that evaluated aticaprant as an supplementary treatment for adults struggling with treatment-resistant depression and moderate to severe anhedonia. Despite the setback, J&J maintains it will explore potential applications for the drug in other therapeutic areas where significant medical needs remain unmet.
The company emphasized its continued dedication to neuroscience research, highlighting its recent $15 billion acquisition of Intra-Cellular Therapies, which produces the mental health medication Caplyta. J&J also reaffirmed its projected 5-7% compound annual growth rate for its pharmaceutical division, which generated $57 billion in revenue last year, representing a 4% increase from 2023.
The development has implications beyond J&J, affecting the broader landscape of depression treatment research. Wall Street analysts, including David Risinger of Leerink Partners, had projected annual sales of approximately $1 billion for aticaprant by 2032. J&J’s own estimates were more optimistic, suggesting potential peak annual revenues between $1 billion and $5 billion.
The news particularly impacted Neumora Therapeutics, a biotech startup developing a similar drug. Neumora’s shares declined nearly 5% following J&J’s announcement, adding to the company’s recent struggles. Earlier this year, Neumora faced its own setback when its drug navacaprant failed to outperform placebo in treating
moderate-to-severe MDD. Both drugs target kappa opioid receptors, proteins believed to influence mood, stress response, and pain perception.
Industry analysts have expressed concern about the future of this drug class. RBC Capital Markets analyst Brian Abrahams suggested the terminated trials might eliminate remaining optimism for these compounds in depression treatment. Paul Matteis of Stifel downgraded Neumora’s stock to “Hold,” describing J&J’s decision as a significant setback for kappa opioid receptor drug development.
The impact on Neumora has been particularly severe, with its stock value plummeting more than 90% since its initial public offering. The company, which launched in late 2021 with $500 million in backing from prominent venture capital firms including Arch Venture Partners and Polaris Partners, as well as Amgen, now trades at approximately $1.45 per share.
The ripple effects extend to other pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie, which acquired a kappa opioid antagonist through its Cerevel Therapeutics purchase. That drug remains in Phase 1 testing.
Despite this setback, J&J’s diverse pipeline includes nearly 20 other novel drug candidates with potential blockbuster status, helping explain why the company’s stock actually rose more than 1% following the announcement. The development, however, may complicate J&J’s ambitious goal of becoming the leading neuroscience company by 2030.