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Acorda (ACOR) Plans to Launch Inbrija in Q1: What to Expect

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On Jan 9, we issued an updated research report on Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (ACOR - Free Report) .

Acorda’s biggest achievement in 2018 was the FDA approval of its Parkinson's disease (PD) drug, Inbrija (levodopa inhalation powder), in late December 2018. Following this nod, the product became the first and the only approved inhaled levodopa for treating OFF periods in patients suffering Parkinson’s and receiving a carbidopa / levodopa regimen. Inbrija is expected to be launched during the first quarter of 2019. The drug is also under review in the EU with a decision expected anytime soon.

Notably, more than 350,000 people in the United States are enduring OFF periods related to PD. Inbrija will help address the large unmet medical need for those affected with the ailment. Acorda estimates Inbrija’s market opportunity to be more than $800 million in the United States.

Inbrija might face competition from a similar product of small pharma company Sunovion, which might get the FDA approval later this month. However, Acorda is confident that Inbrija will capture the majority market share.

Shares of Acorda have shed 30.1% value in the past year, wider than the industry’s decline of 20.6%.

Successful commercialization of Inbrija is critical for long-term growth at Acorda, especially as generic competition looms large on its key multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Ampyra. Although most part of Acorda’s net product revenues is drawn from Ampyra, the drug’s sales still have been declining of late due to close contest from generic launches including Mylan's authorized generic version, which was unveiled last September.

Acorda is still heavily dependent on Ampyra for growth as Inbrija is yet to be launched in the market and contribute to the top-line of the company.

Apart from these two drugs, Acorda has a pipeline of novel neurological therapies addressing a wide range of disorders. The company is evaluating two phase II candidates, namely SYN120 and BTT1023 for the treatment of PD dementia and primary sclerosing cholangitis, respectively.

Another early-stage candidate, CVT-427 — an inhaled zolmitriptan — is being evaluated for the treatment of acute migraine, using Acorda’s ARCUS drug delivery technology.

Approval of these candidates will provide long-term growth prospects for the company, given the lucrative market that is being targeted.

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. Price and Consensus

Zacks Rank & Other Stocks to Consider

Acorda currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Other top-ranked stocks to look in the healthcare sector include Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VNDA - Free Report) and Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (INO - Free Report) , both sporting the same top Zacks Rank of 1 as Acorda. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Vanda’s earnings estimates have moved 11.1% north for 2019 over the past 90 days. The stock has skyrocketed 102.1% in a year.

Inovio’s loss per share estimates has been narrowed 2.8% for 2019 in the last 90 days. The stock has gained 8.9% in the past year.

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