Equilibre Biopharmaceuticals Corp. has positive top-line data from the phase II study of its lead asset, EQU-001, an anti-inflammatory adjunctive therapy for treating focal seizures for adults with epilepsy.
Tenacia Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has acquired exclusive greater China rights to certain formulations of Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s seizure therapy, ganaxolone (Ztalmy), in a deal worth up to $266 million. Under the terms, Shanghai-based Tenacia now has the rights to develop and commercialize current oral and intravenous dose formulations of ganaxolone in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. It also gained the right to the first negotiation for a new formulation of the drug in the future.
Tenacia Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has acquired exclusive greater China rights to certain formulations of Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s seizure therapy, ganaxolone (Ztalmy), in a deal worth up to $266 million.
By pairing the expression of an inhibitory ion channel with an activity-dependent promoter, researchers have developed the first on-demand gene therapy that specifically silenced hyperactive cells and prevented epileptic seizures. The channels are expressed when the promoter is turned on by excessive neuronal activity, and so “we can’t stop the first seizures,” Dimitri Kullmann told BioWorld.
Ceribell Inc. amassed $53 million in a series C fundraising round to broaden the footprint for its noninvasive brain monitor in U.S. hospitals and expand indications for its Rapid Response EEG. Longitude Capital and The Rise Fund led the round.
Shares of Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc. climbed 51.7% to close at $3.20 on Sept. 15 following news that the company's sole clinical asset, ganaxolone, met the primary endpoint of its phase III Marigold study in CDKL5 deficiency disorder, a rare genetic condition that can leave children unable to walk, talk or feed themselves.
The potential for neurological complications, including seizures and stroke, is a growing concern with COVID-19 patients. To ensure rapid diagnosis and treatment, Ceribell Inc., a Mountain View, Calif.-based startup, is deploying its cloud-linked, portable electroencephalogram (EEG) device to enable EEG assessments in minutes in emergency rooms and intensive care units.
