Can Sage Therapeutics Press Even Further With Its Depression Trial?

By Chris Lange Updated Jan 12, 2:52PM EST · Published Feb 13, 12:10PM EST

Follow 24/7 Wall St. on Google

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

Can Sage Therapeutics Press Even Further With Its Depression Trial? — © Thinkstock

[cnxvideo id=”655354″ placement=”ros”]Shares of Sage Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SAGE) saw a handy gain on Monday after the company announced a successful mid-stage trial for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Specifically the company reported encouraging top-line results for SAGE-217, which met the primary endpoint of safety and tolerability.

The trial also examined the effect of SAGE-217 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) total score, in addition to other secondary measures. Patients in the trial had a mean HAM-D total score of 27.2 at baseline. Data demonstrated a mean reduction from baseline in the HAM-D of 19.9 points at Day 15, with 85% (11 of 13) patients showing at least a 50% reduction of their HAM-D and 62% (8 of 13) of patients achieving remission, as determined by a HAM-D score of 7 or less.

The positive results from this clinical trial, along with the outcomes observed with SAGE-547 in postpartum depression, further validate studying this mechanism as a potential broad therapy for the treatment of mood disorders.

[nativounit]

The primary endpoint for the Part A study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of SAGE-217. The Part B phase of the trial will be a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study evaluating SAGE-217 as a treatment for MDD.

Jeff Jonas, M.D., CEO of Sage, commented:

Understanding the caveats associated with open-label data, we are highly encouraged by the strong signal we achieved in this study, which met our internal criteria for achieving a positive signal and thus supported our plan to proceed to the double-blind, placebo-controlled part of the Phase 2 trial. These initial results in MDD were achieved utilizing our data-driven approach to CNS drug development – employing efficient human proof-of-concept studies to both uncover activity signals and help understand future trial methodology, before investing in larger clinical programs.

Shares of Sage were trading up 13% at $53.57 on Monday, with a consensus analyst price target of $75.27 and a 52-week trading range of $26.28 to $56.45.

[wallst_email_signup]

About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.