Acadia Pharma says drug trial reaches goal
(Adds details, updates stock movement)
March 19 (Reuters) - Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ACAD.O) said a mid-stage trial of its schizophrenia co-therapy reached its main goal, and its shares surged almost 66 percent.
Shares of the company rose to $11.10 in early electronic trade, after closing at $6.69 Friday on the Nasdaq.
The company said co-therapy arms with its drug ACP-103, combined with either of two types of antipsychotic drugs used to treat schizophrenia, demonstrated statistically significant antipsychotic efficacy, the main goal of the trial.
The two drugs used with ACP-103 were atypical antipsychotic drug risperidone and typical antipsychotic drug haloperidol.
The trial consisted of five study arms, and enrolled 423 patients in Brazil and the United States, the company said.
The arm combining its drug with low-dose risperidone showed a significant improvement in antipsychotic efficacy as compared to low-dose risperidone combined with a dummy drug, and the same efficacy as that of high-dose risperidone plus placebo, it added.
"...ACP-103 when added to a three-fold lower dose of risperidone provided substantial advantages, including a faster onset of antipsychotic action and 50 percent less weight gain," Uli Hacksell, chief executive officer of Acadia said in a statement.
(Reporting by Varsha Tickoo in Bangalore)
((Editing by Deepak Kannan; Reuters Messaging: varsha.tickoo.reuters.com@reuters.net; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780; outside U.S. +91 80 4135 5800; )) Keywords: ACADIA FDA/
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