Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ: VRNA) shares surged 7.05% in pre-market trading on Thursday, following the company's fourth quarter and full-year 2024 financial results that showed strong sales of its COPD drug Ohtuvayre and progress in its Phase 2 clinical trials.
The key highlights from Verona Pharma's financial report include:
- Net sales of Ohtuvayre, the company's first commercial product, reached $36.6 million in Q4 2024 and $42.3 million for the full year 2024.
- Verona Pharma initiated two Phase 2 trials in Q3 2024, evaluating nebulized ensifentrine in combination with glycopyrrolate for COPD and in patients with bronchiectasis.
- The company plans to start a Phase 2b trial in the second half of 2025 to assess the safety and efficacy of a fixed-dose nebulized combination of ensifentrine and glycopyrrolate for COPD treatment.
Verona Pharma's CEO, David Zaccardelli, expressed optimism about the strong launch of Ohtuvayre and the potential for ensifentrine to redefine the treatment paradigm for COPD. The company is also progressing regulatory activities for potential marketing authorization applications for Ohtuvayre in the European Union and the UK.