PTC Therapeutics Gets Big Boost From Sarepta's DMD Drug Approval

PTC Therapeutics, Inc.

shares got a good boost, thanks to positive tidings received by Sarepta Therapeutics Inc.

on Monday. The latter received FDA's accelerated approval for eteplirsen for treating exon 51 skipping amenable Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. At the time of writing, PTC Therapeutics' shares were up a decent 23 percent on above-average volumes. What is the clamor behind the move? With Sarepta getting approval only now, PTC Therapeutics was already armed with a conditional approval for its DMD drug Translarna in Europe for over 2 years now. Motely Fool in an article in May this year had highlighted the prospects for this PTC Therapeutics by virtue of it being an early bird. The Numbers for PTC Therapeutics' Translarna Translarna's sales have made progress in leaps and bounds, with sales rising 49 percent sequentially in the first quarter of 2016 to $18.9 million. Sales slowed to $15.4 million in the second quarter. This makes the management guidance of full year sales of at least $65 million a credible target. More Opportunity Ahead Motely Fool sees incremental opportunity of Translarna if PTC Therapeutics manages to clinch pricing deals with more EU members and in other markets such as the Americas. Going by the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's recommendation for Translarna for ambulatory patients of five years or older with nonsense mutation DMD, it could find a way into the U.K., which has opted to stay out of the European Union. U.S.- Still Pipe Dream – Never Mind! PTC Therapeutics' Translarna hit the road block with the FDA earlier this year, although a green light from the U.S. drug watch in the future can not be ruled out. Even if it doesn't find favor with the FDA, it still has enough scope to expand in other markets, fueling the revenue growth of the company.