AbbVie’s emraclidine did not meet endpoint in Phase 2 schizophrenia trials

AbbVie’s (ABBV) two Phase 2 EMPOWER trials investigating emraclidine as a once-daily, oral monotherapy treatment for adults with schizophrenia who are experiencing an acute exacerbation of psychotic symptoms, did not meet their primary endpoint of showing a statistically significant reduction – improvement – in the change from baseline in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total score compared to the placebo group at week 6. Emraclidine was well-tolerated with a safety profile comparable to that observed in the Phase 1b trial. Emraclidine is a potential novel M4-selective positive allosteric modulator in development for schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease psychosis as a once-daily medication without the need for titration.