Herantis Pharma reports positive Phase 1b results for Parkinson’s drug

ESPOO, Finland - Herantis Pharma Plc (market cap: $75.68M) announced on Monday that its Phase 1b clinical trial of HER-096 in Parkinson’s disease patients has met all primary and secondary endpoints, establishing a foundation for advancing to Phase 2 testing. The announcement sparked significant investor interest, with the stock surging 37% in the past week, trading near its 52-week high of $3.41.

The trial demonstrated that both 200 mg and 300 mg doses of HER-096, administered subcutaneously twice weekly over four weeks, were generally safe and well-tolerated in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Most adverse events were mild and transient, primarily consisting of injection site reactions. According to InvestingPro data, while the company maintains strong liquidity with a current ratio of 8.1, analysts do not expect profitability this year.

The study also confirmed that HER-096 crosses the blood-brain barrier in Parkinson’s disease patients, achieving sufficient concentration levels in cerebrospinal fluid to reach pharmacologically active levels.

"Based on these encouraging Phase 1b results, Herantis intends to advance HER-096 into a Phase 2 clinical trial during 2026," said Antti Vuolanto, CEO of Herantis Pharma. The company expects the full dataset, including exploratory biomarker data, to be available before the end of 2025. InvestingPro subscribers have access to 12 additional investment tips and comprehensive financial metrics to evaluate the company’s potential. Get exclusive insights with InvestingPro.

HER-096 is a small peptide molecule designed to mimic the activity of cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF). The drug candidate aims to address key drivers of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease through multiple mechanisms, including modulation of the Unfolded Protein Response pathway and reduction of α-synuclein aggregation.

The Phase 1b trial consisted of two parts: a single-dose study in healthy volunteers and a four-week dosing period in 24 Parkinson’s disease patients who received either HER-096 or placebo. The trial was funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and Parkinson’s UK.

The company will host a webcast on October 8 to discuss the results further, according to the press release statement. The stock’s current valuation suggests it may be overvalued based on InvestingPro Fair Value calculations, trading at a notably high Price/Book multiple of 30.17.

In other recent news, Herantis Pharma Plc announced the completion of the final patient visit in its Phase 1b clinical trial for HER-096, a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. The trial involved administering 300 mg doses of HER-096 or a placebo to patients twice weekly over a four-week period. The primary focus of the study is to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of repeated doses. Additionally, the trial aims to evaluate selected biomarkers and monitor symptoms in patients. This development marks a significant step in Herantis Pharma’s ongoing research efforts. The company has not yet released detailed findings from the trial. Investors and stakeholders will be looking forward to further updates on the trial outcomes.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.