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Acorda adds to PD portfolio with Biotie takeout

January 20, 2016 2:10 AM UTC

Acorda Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:ACOR) will acquire Biotie Therapies Corp. (HSE:BTH1V; NASDAQ:BITI) for about $363 million in cash. The deal gives Acorda two clinical stage programs for Parkinson's disease, including oral selective adenosine A2A receptor ( ADORA2A) antagonist tozadenant ( SYN115).

Tozadenant is in a Phase III trial to reduce "off" time, or periods of decreased mobility when levodopa levels are low, in patients with fluctuating PD. In a Phase IIb trial, four twice-daily doses of tozadenant for 12 weeks met the primary endpoint of reducing mean daily "off" time vs. placebo. Tozadenant also met several secondary endpoints, including increasing "on" time without leading to increases in dyskinesia. ...