Roivant will discontinue the development of its drug for a rare lung disease after it failed to show treatment benefits in patients in a mid-stage trial.

The company's unit, Kinevant Sciences, said its once-monthly injectable drug, namilumab, failed to meet the main and secondary goals in the study evaluating it in 107 patients with chronic active pulmonary sarcoidosis for about 6 months.

Current treatments for the disease are corticosteroids and other immunosuppressants that only suppress the symptoms, which include shortness of breath, chest pain and persistent dry cough.

"Unfortunately science is sometimes humbling, and we are proud to have made the attempt," Roivant CEO Matt Gline said in a statement.

Drug developer aTyr Pharma's efzofitimod is also being tested for the treatment of pulmonary sarcoidosis and is in late-stage development.