Newron Pharmaceuticals - Evanamide potential expanding in schizophrenia

Newron Phamaceuticals has announced encouraging interim safety and efficacy data for the use of evanamide, a glutamate modulator, as an add-on therapy in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Data from the first 100 patients who completed the six-week open-label study 014 (assessing the drug candidate as an add-on in moderate-to-severe TRS) found it improved symptoms of psychosis. A high proportion (77%) of all treated patients responded to their antipsychotic (AP) therapy after the addition of evanamide (dosed at 7.5mg, 15mg or 30mg twice daily). The drug was well tolerated in combination with all APs tested. We see these data as further support for the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia and, by extension, management’s approach to treating the disease. Considering this news, we are reviewing our estimates.