Neumora Therapeutics said its Phase 3 KOASTAL-2 and KOASTAL-3 studies of navacaprant in major depressive disorder did not meet the primary or key secondary endpoints, and the company will discontinue development of the drug. The decision comes as part of a broader business update in which Neumora outlined plans to prioritize what it describes as potential best-in-class programs in Alzheimer’s disease agitation, schizophrenia, and cardiometabolic disease, while extending its cash runway into the third quarter of 2027.
The company is advancing NMRA-511, a V1a receptor antagonist for Alzheimer’s disease agitation, with plans to complete a multiple ascending dose cohort in healthy elderly volunteers in the fourth quarter of 2026 to inform dose selection for a Phase 2b study expected to start by year end 2026. Neumora also intends to report Phase 1 data in the second half of 2026 for NMRA-898, an M4 positive allosteric modulator in development for schizophrenia. For NMRA-215, an NLRP3 inhibitor targeting obesity, the company expects to complete a 13-week repeat rat toxicology study by mid-2026 and provide a program update alongside its second-quarter financial results in August 2026, with clinical studies slated to begin by the end of 2026.
To align the organization with this refocused pipeline strategy, Neumora will cut its workforce by approximately 35%. The reduction is expected to generate annualized cost savings of about $10 million, partially offset by roughly $2 million in one-time restructuring charges. The company said its current cash and cash equivalents are now expected to support operations into the third quarter of 2027, encompassing several anticipated clinical milestones across its remaining programs.
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