MediciNova sinks after meth dependence failure

MediciNova Inc. (NASDAQ:MNOV; JASDAQ:4875) lost $1.74 (15%) to $10.22 on NASDAQ Thursday after reporting that ibudilast (MN-166) missed the primary endpoint of improving methamphetamine abstinence compared with placebo in a Phase II trial to treat methamphetamine dependence.

The trial enrolled about 140 patients seeking treatment for methamphetamine dependence to receive once-daily 100 mg ibudilast or placebo for 12 weeks. Methamphetamine abstinence was confirmed via urine drug screens during the last two weeks of treatment. The University of California Los Angeles sponsored the trial in collaboration with NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)...