Zogenix Inc. shares rocketed almost 200% Friday, after the company said a late-stage trial of a treatment for a rare type of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome met its main goal. The Phase 3 trial of the drug, ZX008, low-dose fenfluramine hydrochloride, met its primary endpoint of reducing the frequency of convulsive seizures in children and young adults. “If approved, ZX008 could play an important role in treating this devastating condition,” said Joseph Sullivan M.D., director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Center in UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, and head of the trial. Dravet syndrome is a rate, lifelong form of epilepsy that begins in the first year of life with frequent seizures and other symptoms, including behavioral and developmental delays, orthopedic conditions and delayed language. The disease affects 1 in 15,700 individuals, according to the Dravet Syndrome Foundation. Zogenix shares were halted for the news before surging as the halt was lifted. They had gained about 6% in 2017 through Thursday, while the S&P 500 has gained about 12%.
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