The structure of Atalanta Therapeutics’ RNA interference drugs enables them to distribute broadly and deeply into brain tissue. Lead programs for Huntington’s disease and a rare inherited form epilepsy are on track to enter the clinic this year.
Lundbeck says Longboard Pharmaceuticals’ drug, bexicaserin, has potential applications in a range of rare epilepsies. Last month, the biotech began a Phase 3 clinical trial testing the drug in Dravet syndrome.
Zelis CEO Amanda Eisel shares her perspective on how the company is solving the problems of a fragmented health financial system to benefit all.
Takeda Pharmaceutical’s soticlestat did not meet Phase 3 goals in Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, two rare forms of epilepsy. But the pharma giant points to results on secondary goals and subgroup analyses, and plans to discuss with regulators the “totality of data.”
Rapport Therapeutics’ IPO came with a concurrent private placement that boosted the biotech’s cash haul. The new capital will support clinical development of a lead drug with a novel approach to focal epilepsy, a form of the disorder that affects 1.8 million people in the U.S.
Rapport Therapeutics’ lead program could offer more targeted epilepsy treatment compared to currently available anti-seizure medications, which introduce many side effects. The IPO will support plans to develop the oral small molecule in focal epilepsy as well as peripheral neuropathic pain and bipolar disorder.
Longboard Pharmaceuticals’ epilepsy drug candidate bexicaserin met the main efficacy goal of its Phase 1b/2a study along with safety data suggesting a potential edge over current treatments. With Longboard now preparing to advance to Phase 3 testing, its stock price soared more than 300%.
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Marinus Pharmaceuticals drug Ztalmy is now FDA approved for treating the seizures in patients who have CDKL5 deficiency, an inherited form of epilepsy. The drug is the first approved treatment for the rare disorder and it’s also Marinus’s first approved product.
Neuroscience drug developer Biohaven Pharmaceuticals is expanding its pipeline to include epilepsy and spinal muscular atrophy. The drug developer is acquiring Channel Bioscience and licensing global rights to a Phase 3-ready drug from Bristol Myers Squibb.
Epilepsy is a small part of UCB’s neurology pipeline, but its proposed Zogenix acquisition would broaden the Belgium-based drugmaker's ability to address that market. Zogenix’s Fintepla is approved in the U.S. and Europe for a rare type of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome, and is in development for other rare epilepsies.
Ovid Therapeutics is acquiring global rights to AstraZeneca molecules that address a novel target to treat epilepsy. The AstraZeneca deal comes 10 months after Takeda Pharmaceutical paid $196 million up front to acquire Ovid’s rights to a Phase 3 ready molecule for two rare forms of epilepsy.
The progress in artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping patient care, across various dimensions, from facilitating faster discharge to curating treatment plans and suggesting lifestyle changes.
Vagus nerve stimulation devices still have a long way to go, but the therapeutic potential of the vagus nerve, the advent of AI and machine learning in healthcare and the opportunity to establish truly personalized digital medicine are enough to warrant further exploration into VNS.
The algorithm maps interactions between different areas of the brain, which can help guide the placement of electrodes for stimulating devices to treat brain diseases, like epilepsy, and movement disorders.
Takeda Pharmaceutical gains full rights to a small molecule that has shown promise treating seizures in several rare forms of epilepsy. Meanwhile, Ovid Therapeutics gains cash to support its pipeline of neurological disease drug candidates.
The data from a Phase II pilot and an extension study of soticlestat, also known as OV935 or TAK-935, showed short- and long-term reductions of seizure frequency in patients with CDKL5 deficiency disorder and Dup15q syndrome.
The European Commission approved GW Pharma's Epidyolex as a treatment for seizures in two rare and severe forms of epilepsy. The drug won FDA approval last year.