Shares of XenoPort surged this morning when the company and partner GlaxoSmithKline announced that their therapy for restless leg syndrome performed better than placebo in a 12-week trial. In the trial 325 patients received either a 1200 mg or 600 mg dose of XP13512 or a placebo. At the higher dose, 78 percent of patients said they were either "much improved" or "very much improved," compared to 45 percent of patients taking a placebo. Some 73 percent of patients taking 600 mg doses also reported feeling much improved.
"This study provides additional confirmation of the efficacy and safety of the 1200 mg dose of XP13512 in RLS patients," said Ronald W. Barrett, XenoPort's chief executive. "The efficacy of 600 mg XP13512 in this study was somewhat surprising since a two-week Phase II clinical trial with a 600 mg dose did not show a statistical difference from placebo."
- see XenoPort's release
- read the AP report