Rocco Verducci

MS Drug Fampridine Sends Acorda Stock Way Up

Eben,

The mechanism of action for this compound is unique. Since it doesn't approach MS from an auto-immune vantage point it would make this a natural as an adjunctive therapy.

The unknown is who the Acorda marketing partner would be. The company has a 14-person internal sales force and a 160-member contract sales force selling Zanaflex and this doesn't appear to be the critical mass necessary to provide the educational and marketing effort to have Fampridine-SR recognized as a primary treatment for MS.

At the end of the day, you need to have an innovative molecule coupled with a great company to extol the benefits (and risks) of a particular compound and to make it commercially viable.

Ciao,