So, here's what happened in the world of bulging eyes on Monday: shares of Viridian Therapeutics Inc. (VRDN) took a nosedive, falling more than 22%. The culprit? Some very impressive new data from a much bigger player, Amgen Inc. (AMGN), that just made the race to treat thyroid eye disease (TED) a whole lot more interesting—and a lot tougher for the smaller guys.
Amgen dropped the topline results from its Phase 3 trial for Tepezza, and they were strong. The drug showed a 77% proptosis (that's the medical term for bulging eyes) response rate after 24 weeks, with a mean reduction in eye bulging of -3.17 mm. For a market that's already competitive, that's a new high bar.
And the timing? Well, it couldn't have been worse for Viridian. Just last week, the company shared its own Phase 3 results for its hopeful TED drug, elegrobart. The trial did hit its primary goal, but the numbers are now sitting right next to Amgen's, and the comparison is making investors nervous.
Viridian's REVEAL-1 trial showed proptosis responder rates of 54% for a once-every-four-weeks dose and 63% for a once-every-eight-weeks dose, compared to 18% for a placebo. That's not bad, but when you adjust for the placebo effect, the net benefit comes out to 36% and 45%, respectively. Analysts and investors were reportedly hoping to see something in the 51% to 73% range. So, while it worked, it didn't work as well as many had hoped, especially now with Amgen's 77% figure on the board.
This has people asking the obvious question: in a market where doctors and patients can choose, will elegrobart be competitive enough? The stock's reaction on Monday suggests a lot of folks are skeptical.
Now, it's not all doom and gloom for Viridian. The company has a plan. Another big Phase 3 study for elegrobart, this one focusing on chronic TED, is still on track to report results in the second quarter of 2026. Viridian is aiming to ask the FDA for approval in early 2027. More importantly, the company isn't running on fumes. It ended its last fiscal year with a hefty $875 million in cash, which it believes is enough to fund its operations all the way until it becomes profitable, banking on future sales from elegrobart and another drug called veligrotug.
Speaking of veligrotug, that's another part of the story. It's a different drug for TED that's currently under a Priority Review at the FDA. The agency is set to make a decision by June 30. Some analysts are actually more bullish on this one. "We believe Viridian's veligrotug and elegrobart have the potential to capture significant share in the TED market," wrote William Blair on Monday. "We believe veligrotug offers a competitive profile relative to current standard-of-care Tepezza, and believe the more convenient dosing and diplopia benefits in chronic TED should translate into a meaningful commercial opportunity if approved by its June 30 PDUFA date."
The competitive landscape in TED has been shifting. Back in December, Argenx SE (ARGX) decided to stop its own Phase 3 trials for a TED treatment, which at the time was seen as a potential positive for other players like Viridian. But Amgen's latest move changes the calculus again. It's a reminder that in biotech, the goalposts can move quickly.
By the end of trading Monday, Viridian shares were down 22.03% at $14.69. The market is essentially re-rating the company's prospects based on two data points: its own good-but-not-great results, and a competitor's excellent ones. The path forward for Viridian now involves proving that its drugs offer other advantages—like more convenient dosing or benefits for specific patient groups—that can win over doctors and patients even in a market with a very effective incumbent. It's a classic biotech story: high science, high finance, and the constant pressure of the next data readout.
