Aveo gives up on ficlatuzumab in acute myeloid leukemia, citing COVID-19

Back in 2012, Aveo announced that its second most advanced asset, ficlatuzumab, had flopped in a midstage cancer test; for years, we heard nothing about this drug.

But ficlatuzumab, a hepatocyte growth factor inhibitory antibody (that is partnered with Biodesix), looked like it might be making a comeback when, almost exactly one year ago, the pair announced what it said were positive data out of a phase 1b trial for the med in combination with cytarabine in patients with relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML).