Bristol Myers Alters Fibrosis Drug Trial After Liver Injury, Death; Shares Waver

Bristol Myers Squibb has amended the long-term safety extension of its Phase 3 "Aloft" trial of experimental pulmonary fibrosis drug admilparant to tighten liver monitoring, after a "limited number" of liver damage cases and one participant death from liver injury, a spokesperson said. The news, reported September 30, 2026, prompted a sharp but brief drop in Bristol Myers (BMY) and Contineum Therapeutics (CTNM) shares. The amendment, submitted for European Union sites in May, classifies liver injury as a "newly classified important potential risk" and requires closer monitoring of enrollees with elevated liver enzymes. Most events were mild or transient, consistent with hepatic adaptation, the filing said. The death resulted from multi-organ failure; it is unclear whether the patient received admilparant. Analysts at RBC, Leerink and Stifel called the selloff "overdone," noting too many variables to confirm a safety signal for the LPA1R class. Bristol Myers expects study results by year-end.