This morning, Neurocrine Biosciences shot up 79% on news that a study of their small molecule NBI-98854 to treat tardive dyskinesia (a disorder characterized by involuntary facial movements) is progressing well. The drug targets and inhibits VMAT2, a solute carrier channel that transports monoamines at nerve synaptic junctions, including dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and histamine.
Though tardive dyskinesia (TD) at first sounds similar to the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, apparently they're very different, according to the Tardive Dyskinesia Center, which explains why the company isn't angling NBI-98854 as a possible drug for use in Parkinson's.
Nevertheless, I don't think Parkinson's would have been the major market for Neurocrine's drug. What makes NBI-98854 interesting is that the long term use of a variety of other drugs used to treat common conditions can lead to TD; take metclopramide (Reglan) for treatment of nausea and vomiting, or espesically Haloperidol (Haldol) as an example of many anti-psychotic drugs. Here's a laundry list of about twenty drugs that can lead to TD (From The Dystonia Foundation).
So while it still may be early to say Neurocrine is in the clear, it seems that with NBI-98854 the company is positioning itself to own a companion drug that'll be used in a wide variety of markets. A very nice strategy indeed.
