Euthymics Bioscience, Inc. today announced that it has presented preclinical data demonstrating that EB-1020, a next-generation product candidate for adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may be effective for treating ADHD without the burden of drug abuse liability. Euthymics' EB-1020 is a novel triple reuptake inhibitor formulated for the treatment of ADHD as a norepinephrine and dopamine-preferring triple, with a small effect on serotonin. This combines the pharmacology of the brain chemicals most relevant for the treatment of ADHD in a single molecule—norepinephrine is believed to help with focus, while the increased dopamine is believed to improve problem solving capabilities, and may also lead to a faster speed-of-onset. EB-1020 is also active in animal models of depression, a common co-morbidity of ADHD. The data were presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) in Hawaii.
Euthymics develops novel triple reuptake inhibitors optimized for specific indications. Amitifadine, Euthymics' lead product candidate, is a serotonin-preferring triple reuptake inhibitor now under development as a broad spectrum antidepressant. Amitifadine is being evaluated in an advanced phase 2b/3a clinical trial, TRIADE, which is currently enrolling patients in the US.
"We have filed a Clinical Trial Application (CTA) in Canada and plan to initiate the first-in-man study in Toronto shortly," said Anthony A. McKinney, President and CEO of Euthymics. "EB-1020 is intended to be a comprehensive treatment for multiple symptoms associated with ADHD but without the liability of addiction. This is especially important in light of current shortages of stimulants commonly used to treat ADHD, which are controlled substances with production tightly regulated by government agencies."
A study presented at the ACNP conference demonstrated that in an animal model of ADHD predictive of human response, EB-1020 was shown to have a unique profile that may activate cortical regions in the brain involved in attention and execution of cognitive functions. The presentation concludes "these data suggest that EB-1020 is a novel agent with improved pharmacotherapy for pediatric and adult ADHD patients, with benign safety, tolerability profiles, and a low incidence of drug abuse liability."
The study was presented by lead author Frank Tarazi, PhD, MBA, Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School and Director, Psychiatric Neuroscience Program, McLean Division of Massachusetts General Hospital, and by Frank Bymaster, MS, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Euthymics. Mr. Bymaster has previous experience in the development of non-stimulants for ADHD.
A preclinical pharmacology study previously presented by Mr. Bymaster showed that EB-1020 markedly increased norepinephrine and dopamine levels in brain regions thought to be involved in ADHD. Furthermore, EB-1020 did not stimulate locomotor activity, suggesting a low risk of drug abuse liability.
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