AstraZeneca may have washed its hands of AZD4041 after the opioid use disorder (OUD) prospect demonstrated a potential drug-drug interaction last year, but the pharma’s development partner, Eolas Therapeutics, isn’t ready to give up.
AstraZeneca ended work on the orexin 1 receptor antagonist in November 2024 after a phase 2 study identified a “potential drug-drug interaction” with the widely used antifungal itraconazole. But Eolas—which was co-developing AZD4041 with AstraZeneca—announced this morning that it has taken ownership of the molecule.
The California-based biotech said it has secured the full development rights to the asset, with plans to take the therapy into a fresh phase 2 trial.
“We are grateful to AstraZeneca for their collaboration and confidence in our ability to lead this program forward,” Eolas CEO Albert Man said in a July 10 release. “AZD4041 demonstrated promising preclinical data on addictive behaviors and has completed phase 1 studies.”
“Clinically significant drug-drug interactions are not anticipated within the range of doses which Eolas will test for efficacy,” Man added. “This compound represents a unique opportunity to develop a non-opioid therapeutic that we believe could significantly improve outcomes for people living with opioid dependence and other addictions.”
U.S. health officials have been seeking out fresh ways to combat the opioid epidemic. Buprenorphine—an old medicine used to treat pain and opioid dependence—was approved to treat OUD in 2023 in the form of Braeburn’s Brixadi.
Eolas first began working with AstraZeneca on AZD4041 in 2015 as part of a deal worth up to $145 million in biobucks. The initial plan was to assess the therapy program for smoking cessation as well as other indications.
The biotech didn’t share the financial details of the latest handover of rights for AZD4041 this morning.