Targacept Slammed on Failed Drug Trial (TRGT, AZN)

Photo of Paul Ausick
By Paul Ausick Published

Invalid Image
Drug developer Targacept Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT) and partner AstraZeneca plc (NYSE: AZN) today announced that they will not file for regulatory approval on an anti-depressant drug called TC-5214 following a trial in which the drug did no better than placebo. The writing has been on the wall on TC-5214 since an announcement in December that the drug had failed to meet its endpoint in a phase II trial.

Targacept’s CEO said that the company has been preparing for this possibility and that it will announce its plans by the end of April. The company has more than $225 million in cash available according to the CEO.

Targacept’s shares are down -27% at $5.41 in a 52-week range of $4.91-$27.22. AstraZeneca’s shares are up about 0.4% at $45.58 in a 52-week range of $40.89-$52.54.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Photo of Paul Ausick
About the Author Paul Ausick →

Paul Ausick has been writing for 247Wallst.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

META Vol: 31,164,797
KMX Vol: 1,392,893
CLX Vol: 1,346,212
NKE Vol: 14,254,149
MOS Vol: 3,978,395

Top Losing Stocks

MRNA Vol: 6,735,375
CTRA Vol: 73,319,495
CRWD Vol: 4,396,083
EPAM Vol: 649,159
FTNT Vol: 2,021,030