Prilenia hopes to buck the Huntington’s trend

After the recent failures of several high-profile projects in Huntington’s disease the industry pipeline is decidedly bare. The only novel late-stage asset now in development is Prilenia Therapeutics’ pridopidine, which started phase 3 late last year.

But the oral project, once known as Huntexil, has already flunked two late-stage studies in the hands of the now defunct Danish group Neurosearch and its licensee Teva. This does not bode well for its future. Still, Prilenia’s chief executive, Michael Hayden, tells Evaluate Vantage that the group has learnt from the experience and designed a new pivotal study to maximise the chance of a win.