Neumora Therapeutics discontinued navacaprant, its oral kappa opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist program for major depressive disorder, after failing to meet primary and key secondary endpoints in two phase III trials (KOASTAL-2 and KOASTAL-3). The company said six-week outcomes did not show statistically significant improvements versus placebo. In connection with the decision, Neumora plans to cut about 35% of staff, citing the need to reduce operating costs after the late-stage setbacks. The stock reportedly fell sharply in premarket trading following the trial results. The biotech remains focused on a pipeline including NMRA-511 for Alzheimer’s disease agitation, NMRA-898 for schizophrenia, and NMRA-215 as an obesity inhibitor, but the immediate readthrough is risk control after an expensive class of brain-drug bets did not land.