Roche announced it is stopping development of emugrobart, an experimental therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), after a key study failed to show consistent muscle growth and motor‑function benefits. The company communicated the decision directly to European patients and investigators. Roche’s termination raises questions about the therapeutic hypothesis and biomarker selection for muscle‑preserving strategies and has potential implications for related programs and obesity trials that repurpose muscle‑preserving mechanisms. The move also underlines how negative mid‑stage readouts can rapidly reshape R&D portfolios. Patient groups and clinicians will press for clarity on data, next steps for trial participants and whether alternative development paths—different endpoints, populations or combinations—remain feasible.