Lundbeck is giving up on its efforts to develop desmoteplase as a treatment for stroke, as disappointing data have made it unclear just how to proceed. In two late-stage studies, desmoteplase proved itself safe and charted some positive results in patient subgroups, Lundbeck said, but its spotty efficacy made it difficult to determine how to pick patients for future studies. Now the Danish drugmaker is cutting its losses, taking a $51 million write-down and considering selling the drug outright. Desmoteplase, a treatment based on proteins found in bat saliva, had received the FDA's fast-track designation, promising a speedy trip through the regulatory process. More