Dive Brief:
- Neuroderm's ND0612H and ND06121 were tested in Parkinson's disease patients and compared with standard of care, oral levodopa/carbidopa (LD/CD).
- ND06121 achieved levodopa plasma levels that could only be achieved through surgical intervention.
- When the news came out about Neuroderm's positive impact on Parkinson's disease patients, the stock price more than doubled, almost hitting the $20 per share, The Street reports. But it's fallen considerably since then, settling at about $13 per share as of press time Friday.
Dive Insight:
Many of the symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), including trembling and shuffling gait, are associated with reduced levels of dopamine. Because levodopa is a precursor to dopamine, one common therapy has been to continuously replace dopamine levels.
However, because levodopa has a half short-life and is rapidly metabolized, many patients undergo a surgical procedure to facilitate automated levodopa replacement. The advent of Neuroderm's new therapy may make it possible to achieve therapeutic levodopa levels without surgery.
The company's small-cap Nasdaq stock may be down compared to the initial heights it reached based on the data, but it's still solid, and Neuroderm's forecast is an overall positive.