FDA puts off its decision on Newron's Parkinson's drug

Italian biotech Newron Pharmaceuticals will have to wait another three months for a final FDA decision on its investigational Parkinson's treatment. The agency extended its review time for safinamide, Newron said, now expecting to hand down final word by March 29. The drug, to be marketed as Xadago, is designed to serve as an add-on therapy to dopamine therapies or levodopa in patients with Parkinson's. Safinamide failed back in 2010, souring Newron's relationship with partner Merck KGaA, but the Milan company kept the faith, recruiting Italian drugmaker Zambon to support another study and eventually winning European approval earlier this year. Release