Shares in biopharmaceutical company Theranexus rose on Wednesday following the announcement of encouraging preliminary results for its treatment of Batten disease.

Initial results from a Phase 1/2 study suggest an effect of its 'Batten-1' candidate on neuronal death, as well as initial signals of clinical efficacy.

The trial in six patients aged 17 and over, to be treated for 24 months, showed an average 17% reduction in neurofilament light chain (NfL) after six months' treatment.

Neurofilaments are a recognized biomarker of neuronal degeneration.

In addition, motor symptoms stabilized over the same period, with a mean score of 31.8 after six months' treatment, compared with 32.4 at study entry.

Juvenile Batten disease is a rare and fatal genetic disorder of the nervous system, for which there is no treatment.

The first symptom, a progressive loss of vision that appears between the ages of four and six, is followed by cognitive impairment, behavioral problems and motor difficulties.

Eventually, patients become wheelchair-bound or even bedridden, before dying prematurely, usually in their late teens or early adulthood.

Theranexus shares were up over 10% late Wednesday morning, having jumped over 18% earlier in the day, while the CAC Mid & Small index was up 0.6%.

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