http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...e-results.html

Phytopharm jumps on promising Parkinson's disease results
Phytopharm shares jumps 67pc after the Cambridge-based biotech company reported promising results from early tests of its Parkinson's disease drug Cogane.

Published: 9:50AM BST 14 Oct 2009


The Phytopharm study was funded by a $1.16m grant from a foundation set up by Parkinson's sufferer Michael J. Fox, the Hollywood actor. Photo: Getty The company said the drug "significantly reduced Parkinsonian disability by 43pc" in macaque monkeys over 18 weeks.

At the same time, a 28-day Phase Ib clinical trial found the drug to be safe and generally well tolerated in both healthy volunteers and Parkinson's disease patients.
"The investment case for Phytopharm centres on Cogane," KBC Peel Hunt analyst Paul Cuddon told Reuters. "Today's impressive clinical and pre-clinical data demonstrate the potential for Cogane to become the first disease-modifying therapy in the fast-growing $11bn Parkinson's disease market."

Dr Jonathan Brotchie, Senior Scientist at Toronto Western Hospital, said in a statement: "This is the first treatment I have seen with proven potential to reverse the disease process in macaques and not just treat PD symptoms."

Phytopharm will present more details results at a medical congress in Miami in December and chief executive Sandy Morrison said the company intended to "move rapidly to a proof-of-concept clinical study".