South Korean firm boosted by data for novel gene therapy

Shares in South Korean biotech Helixmith (Kosdaq: 084990) are up by more than half after the firm announced results for a first-in-class biologic, VM202.

The candidate is a non-viral, potentially regenerative plasmid DNA gene therapy under development for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

Helixmith says the DPN 3-1b Phase III extension study met the primary and secondary endpoints. The trial was an extension of the original 500-subject DPN 3-1 study, conducted under a separate protocol, that was submitted to the US regulator.