Biohaven dumps drug for anxiety after disappointing late-stage trial

Biohaven Pharmaceuticals announced this week that its experimental drug, troriluzole, failed to meet its goal in a late-stage study. The company said that the oral twice-daily treatment failed to improve general anxiety disorder symptoms in patients compared to a placebo.

Biohaven said that it would cease development into the drug for anxiety and instead focus on its development as a potential treatment for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Troriluzole was designed to stabilize synaptic levels of glutamate, which is the body’s most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter. 

Shares for Biohaven fell 16 percent upon news of the anxiety trial failure. But the company said it is also preparing to launch a migraine drug called rimegepant and expects a decision its approval from the FDA early this year. 

Read the Reuters report.