Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Group has suspended a late-stage trial for ocrelizumab, a drug developed together with Biogen Idec to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The trial was halted after several patients developed serious infections that ultimately led to death.

The independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) found that the risks of the drug outweighed the potential benefits, and recommended suspending the study. Earlier programs involving ocrelizumab to treat RA and lupus have also been halted, so insiders say this newest study suspension comes as little surprise.

Ocrelizumab was also meant for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, in which it is still being studied. The drug was originally expected to reach peak sales of between $1 billion to $2 billion if approved for use in the treatment of RA, lupus, and MS. Roche announced it will analyze the data collected from studies thus far and continue on with their MS study, but the future of the drug is still up in the air.