XenoPort’s lead program suffers another big setback

A bad year for XenoPort (XNPT) just got substantially worse. The Santa Clara, CA-based developer says that its lead program--which is partnered with GlaxoSmithKline--flunked a Phase IIb trial for migraines, apparently scuttled by a high placebo effect.  And XenoPort's already battered share price plunged more than 25 percent as investors digested the fresh round of sour reports. GSK1838262/XP13512, also known as Horizant, failed to perform significantly better than a placebo among the...

FDA wants preclinical data on XenoPort’s Horizant

Shares of XenoPort were buoyed by the news that regulators had asked for preclinical data on its experimental therapy for restless leg syndrome but were not asking for any new trials. XenoPort plans to file a complete response to the FDA in the second half of the year. "We believe this is an incremental positive for the company as a path toward an approval of Horizant has been identified," said Leerink Swann analyst Steve Yoo....