Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, a leading global pharmaceutical company, has concluded an Asset Transfer Agreement with NeuroSearch A/S of Denmark  to purchase all rights, assets and obligations relating to Huntexil (pridopidine/ACR16), a drug candidate being developed for the symptomatic treatment of hand movement, balance and gait disturbances in Huntington disease (HD).

Under the agreement, Teva will pay to NeuroSearch approximately $26 million (DKK 150 million) over a period of at least six months. Regulatory and commercialization milestone payments may result in additional funding for NeuroSearch.

Previous trials in the US, EU and Canada demonstrated significant symptomatic relief for patients with HD including improved hand movements and improved gait and balance. These results were observed without any side effects such as sedation and depression seen with other therapies such as neuroleptics and tetrabenazine. Teva believes that Huntexil will, used as a symptomatic agent, make a real difference to the quality of life for patients suffering from HD.

“Based on the clinical trial evidence to date, we believe Huntexil holds promise for symptomatic relief for HD and merits additional study in late-stage clinical development,” commented Michael R. Hayden, M.D., Ph.D., one of the world’s leading experts on Huntington disease and President of Global R&D and chief scientific officer of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. “Teva has a broad commitment to find new approaches to managing devastating CNS diseases, such as Huntington disease. This promising development for Teva is just one example of our covenant with patients to develop medicines to improve their quality of life all around the world.”

Huntexil (pridopidine / ACR16) is an oral small molecule dopamine D2 stabilizer being developed for the symptomatic treatment of non-choreic motor disorders, including for Huntington disease (HD). Huntington disease affects about one person in 10,000 in North America and Europe and generally results in death within 15 to 25 years of diagnosis.

Teva intends to design and complete new clinical studies of Huntexil to assess its potential for symptomatic relief of HD. Advanced-stage clinical studies of Huntexil conducted in the US, EU and Canada in patients with HD demonstrated a significant treatment effect on Total Motor Score [TMS]), but failed to meet the primary endpoint (Modified Total Motor score [mTMS]). Data from the clinical studies were presented to the FDA and EMA in the first half of 2011, but were found insufficient to file for marketing approval.