NS-2330 (Neurosearch).

NeuroSearch is developing NS-2330, a compound that increases the activity of dopamine, norepinephrine and acetylcholine, as a potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) [260782]. It is in phase II for AD [355341], and by March 2001 was also in a phase II tolerability trial in PD patients with dyskinesia. Phase III studies are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2002 [413151]. At this time, NeuroSearch was in licensing negotiations with a number of companies and had expected an agreement to be concluded within the first half of 2001 [401800]. In June 2001, NeuroSearch decided to continue the in-house development of NS-2330 provided that a capital increase could be effected on satisfactory terms [412065], [413151]. In August 2001, the company confirmed that it had raised these funds and phase III studies were planned for the third quarter of 2002 [420708]. In September 2001, WestLB Panmure predicted that NS-2330 had 12 and 15% probabilities of reaching market for its PD and AD indications, respectively. It also predicted that the drug would be launched in 2008 and 2007 for these indications, with market shares of 12.5 and 25%, respectively [423585].