XenoPort restructuring

XenoPort Inc. (NASDAQ:XNPT) will restructure and reduce headcount by 50%, with the majority of the cuts coming from research. The company, which had 219 employees at Dec. 31, made the move after last month's complete response letter from FDA for Horizant gabapentin enacarbil ( XP13512, GSK1838262) to treat moderate to severe primary restless legs syndrome (RLS). The transported prodrug of gabapentin is partnered with GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE:GSK; NYSE:GSK) (See BioCentury, Feb. 22, 2010).

XenoPort plans to cease discovery efforts to focus on assisting its partners on gaining approval of gabapentin enacarbil in the U.S. and Japan; completing its ongoing Phase IIb trial of arbaclofen placarbil (AP, XP19986) to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); and starting a Phase II trial of XP21279 this year to treat Parkinson's disease (PD). Arbaclofen is a transported prodrug of R-baclofen, a GABA B receptor agonist; and XP21279 is a sustained-release transported prodrug of L-dopa. ...