Ovid Therapeutics to present data on epilepsy programs at AES Meeting

Ovid Therapeutics announced that preclinical data supporting its OV329 and OV350 programs in epilepsy and treatment-resistant seizures will be presented at the 2022 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, taking place December 2-6 in Nashville, Tennessee. Using the NIH/NINDS Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program, a series of signal-finding studies using multiple mouse seizure models, found that OV329 demonstrated efficacy in the subacute models of epilepsy, including corneal kindling model and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy model, though it did not mitigate seizures in the 6 Hz psychomotor seizures and maximal electroshock seizures at the doses tested. In the CKM and MTLE models, a single, high dose of OV329 produced near-complete protection from seizure activity. This pattern is analogous to the effects of vigabatrin and supports additional studies to evaluate repeat dosing at lower dose levels in CKM models. Title: OV329, a next-generation GABA-AT inhibitor, suppresses hippocampal paroxysmal discharges following repeat dosing in a mouse model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Summary: In the MTLE model, a once daily 3.0 mg/kg dose of OV329 administered for eight days significantly reduced the number of seizures by Day 4, with maximum reduction at Day 8, compared to baseline. Furthermore, changes in baseline seizures persisted for seven days following the last administration. Findings demonstrate repeat administration of 3.0 mg/kg is at least as efficacious as a single 10 mg/kg dose of OV329. Title: Direct activation of KCC2 with OV350 arrests refractory status epilepticus and limits the subsequent neuronal injury. Summary: OV350 binds with high affinity to KCC2, potassium chloride cotransporter isoform 2, and increases its activity, reducing neuronal Cl- accumulation and limiting the development of hyperexcitability. Additionally, OV350 restored the efficacy of benzodiazepines to treat refractory epilepsies and limit associated brain injuries. In addition, posters characterizing the mechanism of action of soticlestat and other supportive studies are anticipated to be presented by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Ovid out-licensed soticlestat to Takeda, which is currently evaluating soticlestat in two pivotal, Phase 3 trials for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes.