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Addex Stock Soars on Crucial Update From Indivior Research Deal

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Shares of Addex Therapeutics (ADXN - Free Report) soared 54.6% after the company announced the selection of clinical candidates from the GABAB positive allosteric modulator (PAM) research collaboration with Indivior PLC (INDV - Free Report) .

Addex & Indivior Research Deal Update

Per the press release, Indivior has chosen a compound for future development in treating substance use disorder and will manage all further development efforts. Under the terms of the existing agreement, Addex is eligible to receive up to $330 million if certain regulatory, clinical and commercial milestones are met, along with tiered royalties on net sales from INDV, ranging from high single digits to low double digits. Subject to successful development, such payments will aid ADXN in strengthening in cash position as it continues to build its portfolio of novel treatments for neurological disorders.

Year to date, shares of Addex have rallied 91.4% against the industry’s 1% decline.

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Indivior stated that the distinguished mechanism of its selected substance use disorder treatment candidate could help overcome the complex challenges in this field to potentially develop new therapies. INDV expects to begin investigational new drug application (IND) enabling studies of the candidate in the first half of 2025.

Additionally, Addex has exercised its option to select a compound to further develop its independent GABAB PAM program to treat chronic cough. ADXN also expects to initiate IND-enabling studies for its candidate in 2025.

Addex’s Setback on Failure of Partner-Sponsored Epilepsy Drug Study

This significant development in the collaboration agreement with Indivior comes at a crucial time after Addex faced a major setback last month. Its other partner, J&J (JNJ - Free Report) , informed the company that it has discontinued the development of the investigational candidate, ADX71149 (JNJ-40411813), in epilepsy. 

In the absence of a marketed product, Addex only earns revenues from its ongoing collaborations. If the JNJ collaboration comes to an end, the company will lose a significant portion of its revenues, which could lead to a shortage of cash to fund developmental activities.

J&J’s decision to discontinue the epilepsy study was based on disappointing results from the mid-stage study of ADX71149. Per the data readout, the candidate, in combination with standard of care treatment in patients with focal onset seizures with suboptimal response to levetiracetam or brivaracetam, failed to achieve the primary endpoint of statistically significant time for patients to reach baseline seizure count.

Although the collaboration remains ongoing until the totality of the phase II epilepsy data is analyzed, it is likely that the partnership with JNJ will soon dissolve once the same is complete.

Zacks Rank & Other Stock to Consider

Addex currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Another top-ranked stock in the overall drug/biotech sector includes Fulcrum Therapeutics (FULC - Free Report) , sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Fulcrum Therapeutics’ 2024 loss per share has narrowed from $1.24 to 48 cents. The loss estimate for 2025 has narrowed from $1.71 to $1.51 during the same period. Year to date, shares of Fulcrum Therapeutics have jumped 31.3%.

FULC beat estimates in each of the last four quarters, delivering an average earnings surprise of 393.18%.

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