AB Science Places Voluntary Hold on Masitinib Clinical Studies

AB Science has initiated a voluntary halt across all its ongoing clinical studies evaluating masitinib. The pharmaceutical company has not detailed the specific reasons for this decision, stating only that it is to investigate questions related to the drug's safety profile.

Masitinib is a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, administered orally, that AB Science has been developing. The drug has previously been studied for potential therapeutic applications in various conditions, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and mastocytosis.

This pause affects patients currently enrolled in clinical trials for masitinib. AB Science had previously submitted data to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) regarding masitinib's potential use in certain rare cancers and inflammatory diseases.

The company has not provided a timeline for when these studies might resume. Investigations and assessments are expected to continue as the company addresses regulatory guidelines and its drug's safety profile.