Neurology

Patient sample and mouse studies suggest agonizing FFAR1 could help treat temporal lobe epilepsy. In postmortem brain tissue samples from patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, neocortical levels of FFAR1 protein were higher than in samples from head trauma patients without neurological disease. In a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy, an FFAR1 agonist tool compound decreased the number and duration of seizure-like events compared with vehicle. In another mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy, the FFAR1 agonist decreased clinical seizure scores and increased survival. Next steps could include optimizing the compound.

Japan Tobacco Inc. and Torii Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have JTT-851, an oral FFAR1 agonist, in Phase II testing for Type II diabetes...