Ionis rises after rare neurological disorder drug shows promise in small study

Shares of drugmaker Ionis Pharmaceuticals IONS.O rise 2.3% to $62.4 premarket

IONS says its experimental drug, zilganersen, improved walking ability in patients with a rare progressive and often fatal neurological condition, meeting main goal in early-to-late-stage study

In 54-patient study, those who received 50 mg dose of zilganersen showed statistically significant improvement in gait speed as assessed by 10-meter walk test, an assessment of functional mobility, at 61 weeks

The experimental drug is being developed to treat Alexander disease, a disorder that damages brain cells and causes problems with movement, speech and swallowing, often starting in early childhood

As of last close, IONS stock was up 74.5% YTD