"they just need the phase 3 interim read-out to demonstrate that the efficacy is also statistically significant"
you don't understand how futility analysis works. Read this:
http://onbiostatistics.blogspot.com/2012/03/futility-analysis-in-clinical-trials.html even if the independent committee says it is OK to proceed with rest of the trial in a few weeks, that does not mean the results seen are at all "statistically significant" (as in p less than 0.05 as the accepted benchmark). it does not even mean the final results in a few years will be successful.
gotta love this site, some of the strange beliefs and myths you read- just love coming here. there's one bozo in one of the threads claiming that the asset can be commercialized after a successful futility analysis in a few weeks. and now we have some people looking at how somebody smiles on YouTube video as clues to whether there's a deal- just BRILLIANT.
(20min delay)