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Amylyx Pharmaceuticals\u2019\u00a0experimental drug sharply reduced dangerously low blood sugar episodes in a late-stage trial of patients who underwent weight-loss surgery, sending its shares up more than 45% on Tuesday.<\/strong><\/p>\n There are no approved \u200btreatments for post-bariatric hypoglycemia, a condition that can develop after Roux-en-Y gastric \u200bbypass, a common weight-loss procedure, and can cause cognitive impairment, loss of \u2060consciousness or seizures.<\/p>\n In the 78-patient trial, avexitide, a once-daily injection, reduced hypoglycemic episodes by \u200b55% versus placebo over 16 weeks, meeting the main goal, Amylyx said.<\/p>\n The reduction was \u200ba \u201cbest-case scenario\u201d and better than investors expected, Stifel analyst James Condulis said.<\/p>\n Patients \u201cwant more than anything to reduce the number of hypoglycemia events so that they can live independently without the fear,\u201d Dr. Marilyn Tan, \u200bthe study\u2019s lead investigator, said on a call with analysts.<\/p>\n The condition is typically managed \u200bthrough dietary changes, blood sugar monitoring and carbohydrate-blocking medications.<\/p>\n Avexitide, which blocks certain GLP-1 receptors in the \u200cpancreas to \u2060reduce excess insulin secretion and stabilize blood glucose levels, was well-tolerated with mild-to-moderate side effects such as diarrhea and bruising, the company said.<\/p>\n Amylyx\u2019s stock rose to $31.72 in morning trading, on track to add roughly $1.15 billion to its market value if gains hold.<\/p>\n A CRUCIAL \u200bTURNAROUND<\/p>\n The results mark a vital turnaround for \u2060Amylyx, which was forced to pull its flagship ALS drug, Relyvrio, from the market in 2024 following a late-stage trial failure that led to layoffs and a corporate restructuring.<\/p>\n With $250 million in cash on hand, Amylyx \u200bsaid it \u2060is moving \u201cexpeditiously\u201d toward a U.S. marketing application by the end of this year, aiming for a 2027 commercial launch.<\/p>\n TD Cowen analysts projected peak U.S. sales of $2.2 billion for avexitide.<\/p>\n Amylyx acquired \u2060avexitide from Eiger BioPharmaceuticals for $35.1 million in 2024 during Eiger\u2019s bankruptcy auction.<\/p>\n Attention now shifts to \u201cfiling acceptance, label breadth, and launch execution in an underrecognized market,\u201d Citi analyst Geoffrey \u200bMeacham said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n