Bial Will Present ACTIVATE Study Findings in Seoul
Professor Joaquim Ferreira will share results from the 271-participant clinical trial on October 7, 2026.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Alzheimer’s
Live Poll
Do you trust pharmaceutical companies to prioritize the symptoms that matter most to patients?
On October 7, 2026, Professor Joaquim Ferreira will present findings from the ACTIVATE study at the International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders in Seoul. The presentation follows the decision by Bial to discontinue its clinical program for the compound BIA 28-6156.
Why it matters
The clinical program for BIA 28-6156 was closed after the ACTIVATE study failed to demonstrate efficacy in slowing disease progression for patients. However, the data collected remains significant for the development of future therapeutic strategies.
The ACTIVATE study of BIA 28-6156 enrolled 271 participants to test for disease progression slowing. While the study showed a favourable safety profile for the compound, it failed to meet its primary efficacy endpoints.
The players
Bial
Bial is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Porto, Portugal, that invests over 20% of its annual revenue in research and development.
Joaquim Ferreira
Professor Joaquim Ferreira is a medical expert who will deliver the oral presentation of the ACTIVATE study results at the international medical congress.
The details
Professor Joaquim Ferreira will deliver an oral presentation during the Late-Breaking Abstracts session at the congress. Bial is also presenting 16 scientific posters to share comprehensive findings, noting that data from this trial and the PEPP and TRACK-PD studies will inform future research.
Timeline
The International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders runs from 4 to 8 October 2026.
Professor Joaquim Ferreira will present the ACTIVATE study results on 7 October 2026.
The Big Picture
This discontinuation follows the pattern set by the ACTIVATE clinical study, which reached its conclusion after failing to meet efficacy benchmarks for slowing disease progression. The findings serve as a foundation for future research paradigms, prioritizing the development of more effective innovative therapies.
Patients and healthcare providers should note that the BIA 28-6156 treatment program is no longer moving forward in development. The results presented in Seoul offer clinical transparency regarding why the compound did not progress to later stages of treatment availability.
The takeaway
The closure of this clinical program highlights the rigorous nature of testing investigational compounds for disease progression. Researchers plan to leverage findings from this study to refine the design of future clinical trials.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest research in the field by visiting our Alzheimer’s section.
More information
For more information on the company's research portfolio, visit the Bial official corporate website.
Live Poll
Do you trust pharmaceutical companies to prioritize the symptoms that matter most to patients?
