Pridopidine for Huntington disease falls short of primary efficacy end point in phase III trial

Despite promising phase II results, a phase III trial has failed to confirm that the dopaminergic stabilizer pridopidine improves motor function in patients with Huntington disease (HD). In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which involved 437 patients with HD, pridopidine produced no significant improvement with regard to the primary end point—change in the modified motor score. The investigators suggest, however, that the effects of the drug on specific aspects of motor function might warrant further study.