(Reuters) -Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd said on Thursday its experimental drug to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) failed a clinical study, the second therapy by the drugmaker to fail trials in recent months.
The migraine drugmaker in May agreed to an $11.6 billion acquisition deal by Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE), which plans to spin off its non-migraine drugs into a new publicly traded company.
The same month, another Biohaven drug, troriluzole, failed to meet the main goal of a late-stage study testing it in patients with a progressive nervous system disorder.
On Thursday, Biohaven said its drug for ALS did not achieve statistically significant improvement in patients' performance of daily activities compared to a placebo in a mid-to-late-stage trial.
ALS is a progressive and life-threatening neuromuscular disease, and the average age for survival is 3-5 years after the onset of first symptoms.