ACHV - Achieve gains on Phase 2 data for anti-vaping agent

2023-04-20 09:29:27 ET

Canadian biotech Achieve Life Sciences ( NASDAQ: ACHV ) added ~5% pre-market Thursday after announcing data from a Phase 2 trial to indicate that those who received cytisinicline, its experimental therapy for nicotine addiction, were more than two times likely to quit vaping.

Citing topline data from the company’s ORCA-V1 trial, Achieve ( ACHV ) said after 12 weeks of cytisinicline treatment, patients were 2.6 times more likely to quit vaping during the last four weeks of treatment compared to those who received a placebo (p=0.035).

The trial involved 160 adults who used e-cigarettes or nicotine vapes but did not smoke cigarettes at the time. The subjects received 3mg cytisinicline dosed thrice daily for 12 weeks or a placebo, as well as behavioral support for nicotine cessation.

During 9 – 12 weeks of the trial, vaping cessation rates stood at ~31.8% and 15.1% for those who received cytisinicline and placebo, respectively.

According to the company, the experimental therapy was well tolerated with no serious adverse events. The incidence of adverse events was mostly similar across the treatment arm (54.7%) and in the placebo group (50.9%).

“We believe that cytisinicline has the potential to become the first treatment for nicotine vaping cessation, offering new hope to those who want to quit e-cigarettes,” Chief Medical Officer of Achieve ( ACHV ) Cindy Jacobs remarked.

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