SPARC Confirms Pipeline Strength, No Capex Plans After Psoriasis Drug Setback — Profit Exclusive
Sun Pharma Advanced Research Co. has told NDTV Profit that it expects no financial impact or need for fresh capital expenditure following the discontinuation of SCD-044 trials, with other pipeline assets poised to offset the setback.
SPARC said that the psoriasis and atopic dermatitis drug, SCD-044 or Vibozilimod, had been licenced to its parent company, Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., which was “in a better position to share the forecast” for the drug.
“Nevertheless, the indications under development had unmet medical need in terms of safer oral agents which we were trying to plug,” the company said.
The decision to discontinue SCD-044 does not impact SPARC's financials, it clarified. The company confirmed that all costs were accounted for in the P&L, adding there were no further financial implications to consider.
Looking ahead, SPARC highlighted multiple opportunities within its research pipeline. These include SBO-154, an oncology-focused asset that has received the green light from the United States Food and Drug Administration to start Phase 1 studies. SPARC plans to develop SBO-154 across “multiple oncology indications".
The pipeline also features SCD-153, a new chemical entity for treating Alopecia Areata that has completed Phase 1a studies in healthy volunteers and received approval to begin Phase 1b trials in patients. Another oncology asset, SCO-155, is under a binding licensing agreement with Tiller Therapeutics.
SPARC is also working on PDP-716, a once-daily formulation of Brimonidine for glaucoma treatment. Licensed to Visiox Pharma, it is slated for resubmission of its New Drug Application with the USFDA during the financial year 2027. Similarly, SDN-037, a treatment for post-cataract surgery pain and inflammation, is expected to follow PDP-716 in the NDA pipeline.
Financially, SPARC said that the expected cash flow from licensing these assets “can more than offset the lost opportunity from Vibozilimod". “We do not anticipate capex for current pipeline assets under development,” the company said suggesting a stable cash flow outlook for the near term.
-
Talking Points This Week: Tech Nerves, FII Buying, And A Faraway Banking Shock
The global markets are not shining this Diwali. The exception in the large markets is, India.
-
Midterm Rally Lasted A Day. The Hard Reality Of A Divided US May Last Two Years | Opinion
Between a contested AI boom, a debt ceiling that arrives in 2027 and a president with every incentive to act alone, the next two years may prove more volatile than the first day's rally suggests.
-
Blue Wave Will Derail the AI Trade but Won't Dismantle the AI Era | Unhedged Position
The Democrats' sweep of the US Congress will see politics collide with economic forces both over the long and short term.
-
It's Time To Take The GST Council's Bet On Trust Global
Payment records can prove India's services exports, and clear, proportionate rules can bring foreign digital sellers into the tax net.
-
Opinion | India at 38: From Innovation Overperformer to Innovation Powerhouse
India now has 453 VC-backed deep science startups, 18 of them late-stage, after 117 percent growth since 2020. Laurus Labs, at USD 9.3 billion, is the most valuable deep science company in any middle-income economy outside China.
-
Navigating Energy Crossroads: S Jaishankar's Call For Diversified Supply Chains At G20 Ministerial Meeting
As geopolitical fault lines continue to test maritime trade routes and commodity flows, Jaishankar's message remains pertinent: true economic resilience requires open markets, protected transit lines, and a genuine commitment to multilateral cooperation rather than coercion.
-
Indians Are Travelling, But Not Every Journey Is A Holiday | The Week In Whys
Pilgrims, patients and working women are the real travellers, and the system hasn't quite caught up with them.
-
Getting To Work Costs Women More | The Reason Why
It is not just about women paying more than men. It is about women paying much more in cities than in villages.
-
AI Bias In Investing Cannot Be Eliminated, But It Can Be Governed
Framing is a particularly important example as identical financial information presented in terms of gains rather than losses can lead an LLM to reach a different assessment.
