Hawthorne, NY-based Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ACOR]]) announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on the company’s 10 milligram, sustained-release version of dalfampridine (Ampyra) to treat multiple sclerosis. The patent is set to expire in 2026. Acorda saw its stock skyrocket April 14 on a report from RBC, which speculated that if the patent on the drug extended through 2024, it would be worth at least $10 per share in cash flow to Acorda. All told, the company’s stock had risen more than 30% since April 13, to $28.30, prior to the release of the news before the market opened today.
Author: Arlene Weintraub
Arlene is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences and technology. She was previously a senior health writer based out of the New York City headquarters of BusinessWeek, where she wrote hundreds of articles that explored both the science and business of health. Her freelance pieces have been published in USA Today, US News & World Report, Technology Review, and other media outlets. Arlene has won awards from the New York Press Club, the Association of Health Care Journalists, the Foundation for Biomedical Research, and the American Society of Business Publication Editors. Her book about the anti-aging industry, Selling the Fountain of Youth, was published by Basic Books in September 2010.
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