VNDA Stock Rises After Hours On Commercial Launch Of Motion Sickness Drug

• The drug offers simple dosing with just one or two capsules a day taken approximately an hour before travel.
• Patients can access Nereus at a cash-pay price of just $85 per dose, a meaningful discount from the standard list price of $255 per dose, the company said.
• Vanda is also studying the drug in gatroparesis and the prevention of nausea and vomiting induced by GLP-1 drugs popularly used for weight loss and diabetes.

Shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VNDA) jumped 4% after hours on Friday after the company announced that its motion sickness drug is now commercially available across the U.S.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Nereus for the prevention of vomiting induced by motion in adults in December. The FDA approval marked the first new pharmacologic treatment for motion sickness in more than 40 years.

Clinical Data For Nereus

According to Vanda, motion sickness affects roughly 25 to 30% of adults during everyday travel by car, plane, or boat. Patients can now access the drug from the company’s dedicated direct-to-consumer portal for the drug or from retail pharmacies with a prescription. Patients can access Nereus at a cash-pay price of just $85 per dose, a meaningful discount from the standard list price of $255 per dose, the company said.

The FDA approved Nereus following two late-stage trials conducted under real-world conditions on the open sea. In both trials, Nereus significantly prevented vomiting compared to placebo, confirming the drug's effectiveness. The drug offers simple dosing with just one or two capsules a day taken approximately an hour before travel.

Vandas is also studying the drug in gatroparesis and the prevention of nausea and vomiting induced by GLP-1 drugs popularly used for weight loss and diabetes.

How Did VNDA Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around VNDA stock fell from ‘neutral’ to ‘bearish’ territory over the past 24 hours while message volume remained at ‘normal’ levels.

A Stocktwits user opined that the company could be bought out by GLP-1 drug makers like Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, or Pfizer in light of its efforts in treating the side effects of those drugs.

VNDA stock has gained 58% over the past 12 months. 

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