Globes reports that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced a major breakthrough in the treatment of Huntington's Disease (HD) with positive results from its exploratory Phase II study following treatment with Pridopidine.
“Slowing down the progression of this disease has proven to be impossible until now. These findings give us a reason to believe we may be finally making progress in slowing the deterioration of disease,” said Spyros Papapetropoulos, Teva's VP of Clinical Development for Neurodegenerative Diseases.
The 52-week study involved giving Pridopidine twice daily versus a placebo, with the criteria involving improvement in motor function and slowing the progression of the disease. Evidence of improvement was seen in the Total Motor Score and dystonia observed at 26 and 52 weeks.
“These study results are very important for the HD community and for the continued development of pridopidine,’ said Karl Kieburtz, M.D., M.P.H., Director of the Clinical & Translational Science Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “Firstly, pridopidine’s safety profile has been confirmed and extended. Secondly, we now have a clearer idea of the dosages to study in Phase 3. Lastly, we have some of the most encouraging evidence to date about an intervention which may slow the inexorable functional decline of HD.”
