Takeda, Ovid team to develop epilepsy candidate

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:4502) and Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (New York, N.Y.) partnered to develop the Japanese pharma’s TAK-935. Takeda has completed four Phase I studies of the candidate, and the partners expect to begin a Phase Ib/IIa study this year to treat rare pediatric epileptic encephalopathies, including Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and tuberous sclerosis complex.

TAK-935 inhibits cytochrome P450 family 46 subfamily A polypeptide 1 (CYP46A1; CH24H). The target may play a role in epilepsy by modulating the NMDA receptor, contributing to over-activation of the glutamatergic pathway. BioCentury’s BCIQ database contains no other CH24H inhibitors in development...