Epilepsy: expert opinion on emerging drugs in phase 2/3 clinical trials

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Despite the existence of over 30 anti-seizure medications (ASM), including 20 over the last 30 years, a third of patients with epilepsy remain refractory to treatment, with no disease-modifying or preventive therapies until very recently. The development of new ASMs with new mechanisms of action is therefore critical. Recent clinical trials of new treatments have shifted focus from traditional common epilepsies to rare, genetic epilepsies with known mechanistic targets for treatment and disease-specific animal models.

Areas covered

ASMs in phase 2a/b-3 clinical trials target cholesterol, serotonin, sigma-1 receptors, potassium channels and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Neuroinflammation, protein misfolding, abnormal thalamocortical firing, and molecular deficiencies are among the targeted pathways. Clinically, the current phase 2a/b-3 agents hold promise for variety of epilepsy conditions, from developmental epileptic encephalopathies (Dravet Syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, CDKL5 and PCDH19, Rett’s Syndrome), infantile spasms, tuberous sclerosis as well as focal and idiopathic generalized epilepsies and acute rescue therapy for cluster seizures.

Expert opinion

New delivery mechanisms increase potency and site-specificity of existing drugs. Novel mechanisms of action involve cholesterol degradation, mitochondrial pathways, anti-inflammation, and neuro-regeneration. Earlier identification of genetic conditions through genetic testing will allow for earlier use of disease specific and disease-modifying therapies.

KEYWORDS:

• Soticlestat
• TAK-935
• lorcaserin
• STK-001
• NBI-827104
• CX-8998
• huperzine
• SPN-817
• BIS-001
• JNJ-40411813
• ADX-71149
• carisbamate
• RWJ-333369
• ganaxolone
• NRP-2945
• XEN-1101
• darigabat
• CVL-865
• cenobamate
• YKP3098
• intracerebroventricular valproate
• staccato alprazolam
• STAP-001
• blarcarmesine
• anavex 2-73
• fenfluramine
• ZX-008
• genetic epilepsy

Declaration of interest

P Klein receives grant support from CURE/department of defense. He has received consulting or speaker fees from, or been on advisory boards of Abbot, Aquestive, Arvelle, Eisai, Greenwich Pharmaceuticals, Neurelis, SK Life Science, Sunovion and UCB Pharma. He is on the Medical Advisory Board of Alliance-Stratus, is on Scientific Advisory Board of OB Pharma, and is the CEO of PrevEp. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.