Laquinimod (once-day-pill by By Teva)

Teva Moves Ahead on MS Pill

By Robert Steyer
TheStreet.com Staff Reporter
5/1/2007 5:06 PM EDT


Favorable results in a clinical trial for a pill to treat multiple sclerosis has prompted Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) to launch an advanced clinical trial later this year.

Laquinimod is a once-a-day pill developed by Sweden's Active Biotech, which licensed the compound to Teva in mid-2004. Although Teva specializes in generic drugs, it also sells Copaxone for MS and Azilect for Parkinson's disease.

Teva offered mixed results for its test of laquinimod, which was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston. Teva compared two dosage strengths of its drug -- 0.6 milligrams and 0.3 milligrams -- vs. placebo.

The lower dose showed no statistically significant difference vs. placebo; the higher dose "significantly reduced" MS activity as measured by magnetic resonance imaging, Teva said. The higher dose showed a 38% reduction in the cumulative number of tell-tale lesions in the brain.