** Shares of drug developer Adial Pharmaceuticals ADIL.O rise as much as 68.8% to $1.30

** ADIL says U.S. FDA agreed with co's plan to use a specific approach called "in vitro bridging strategy" to support the development of AD04, to treat alcohol-use disorder in heavy-drinking patients

** This approach involves using existing data and lab tests to show that the new version of AD04 is equivalent to the previous version

** Co is developing the drug for its upcoming late-stage trial, set to begin this year

** Last year, AD04 showed safety and tolerability consistent with an existing treatment

** ADIL fell 42.3% in 2024

(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru)

((Kamal.Choudhury@thomsonreuters.com;))