Michael Bristow has been in biotech long enough to see more than a few promising drugs flounder in clinical trials, but he’s not ready to give up on bucindolol. Back in the 1990s, the University of Colorado cardiologist and molecular pharmacologist helped guide the Phase III Beta-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST) for the heart failure drug, which was first developed by Bristol Myers and then under license to Intercardia in North Carolina.
The trial ran for 5 years with nearly 3,000 patients—what the team called “a demographically diverse group”—but it was halted early after failing to show significant gains in all-cause mortality, the primary study endpoint. “When the plug was pulled, all we knew was the primary endpoint hadn’t been met,” says Bristow. “The company was running low on funds and needed to conserve cash. Later on, as more information came in, it was clear that the plug probably ...
