According to a story from pm360online.com, the biopharmaceutical company Ovid Therapeutics recently announced that it had received the 2018 Company Making a Difference Award from the CDKL5 Forum.This recognition was given to Ovid because of the recent kick off of a Phase 2 trial which will test the company’s experimental therapy OV935 as a treatment for patients with epilepsy associated with CDKL5 deficiency disorder and duplication 15q syndrome.
About CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder
CDKL5 deficiency disorder is a genetic disorder which is characterized by intellectual disability, seizures, and developmental delays. As the name suggests, the disorder is linked to mutations of the CDKL5 gene which usually occurs spontaneously and is not inherited from a person’s parents. Symptoms become noticeable in the first few months of life. Females are affected more frequently than males, but males tend to have more severe symptoms. These symptoms can include seizures (1-5 per day), constipation, distinctive facial features reflux, teeth grinding, and problems with feeding and sleeping. Treatment options for CDKL5 deficiency disorder are limited and are primarily focused on minimizing symptoms. Some patients may require a feeding tube. There is a serious need for new and more effective therapies to treat this disorder. In order to learn more about CDKL5 deficiency disorder, click here.
The award to Ovid was presented at the CDKL5 Forum, which occurred in London, UK this year and constitutes the largest convergence which focuses on the latest in treatment and research for CDKL5 deficiency disorder.
About the Phase 2 Trial
The company’s Phase 2 trial is a collaborative effort with another drug developer, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. The trial has just recently begun recruiting patients, which will range from age two to 17. The primary goal of this trial is to see if OV935 is capable of reducing the frequency of the seizures that appear with CDKL5 and dup15q syndrome.
About OV935
OV935 is an innovative, experimental inhibitor of the CH24H enzyme. Research suggests that this enzyme could play a role in the development of nervous system events such as seizures because it is capable of over activating the glutamatergic pathway. While it is currently in trial for its use in CDKL5 deficiency disorder and dup15q syndrome, it is possible that OV935 could have potential for treating other rare epilepsies as well.
