SPN-812 (extended-release viloxazine) is a structurally distinct, bicyclic, Serotonin Norepinephrine Modulating Agent (SNMA) in development as a treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This Phase 3, randomized, double-blind study (P302) evaluated the efficacy and safety of once-daily SPN-812 at doses of 200 and 400 mg compared to placebo in adolescents ages 12-17yrs with ADHD.

Inclusion criteria required subjects have a confirmed Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) ADHD diagnosis, ADHD-Rating Scale-5 (ADHD-RS-5) score ≥28, Clinical Global Impression-Severity score ≥4, and be free of ADHD medication ≥1 week before randomization. This investigation was conducted at 34 study sites in the United States. Subjects (N=310) were randomized 1:1:1 to placebo:200 mg SPN-812:400 mg SPN-812. The treatment period included up to 1 week of titration and 5 weeks of maintenance (intent-to-treat population: N=301; placebo=104, 200 mg=94, 400 mg=103). The primary efficacy endpoint was change from baseline (CFB) at end of study (EOS) in ADHD-RS-5 total score. Key secondary endpoints included Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) score at EOS, and CFB at EOS in Conners 3-Parent Short Form (Conners 3-PS) Composite T-score and Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale-Parent Form (WFIRS-P) total average score. Safety assessments included adverse events (AEs), laboratory tests, vital signs, physical exams, electrocardiograms, and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale.

Compared to placebo, a significantly greater improvement in ADHD-RS-5 total score was observed in the 200 mg and 400 mg SPN-812 treatment group at EOS (p=0.0232, p=0.0091; respectively). Significant improvement in CGI-I score at EOS for both 200 mg and 400 mg SPN-812 compared to placebo was also observed (p=0.0042, p=0.0003; respectively). No significant change was observed at either dose compared to placebo in the Conners 3-PS Composite T-score (p=0.6854, p=0.0518; respectively), or the WFIRS-P total average score (p=0.2062, p=0.0519; respectively). The most common (≥5%) treatment-related AEs were somnolence, decreased appetite, fatigue, headache, and nausea.

In this study, SPN-812 met the primary objective for both the 200 and 400 mg doses, and a key secondary objective (CGI-I) for both the 200 and 400 mg doses. AE-related dropouts were ≤5%, indicating SPN-812 treatment was well tolerated.

This study is an encore of a poster presentation at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).

This research was funded by Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rockville, MD.

Typical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) presents on neurological examination with specific signs of upper and lower motor neuron degeneration (Brooks et al, 1995), which can account for 85% of patients with ALS (Turner and Talbot, 2013). There are different types of clinical presentations, including progressive bulbar palsy (PBP), Limb-onset ALS, progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) and upper motor neuron (UMN) predominant ALS. PBP has mainly brainstem signs. There are a few case reports of dropped head syndrome in ALS, mainly in patients with the limb involvement variant.

Case report

A 56 year old right-handed male, presented to the clinic with four months of dysphagia to liquids and solids, neck pain and progressive neck weakness causing constant drop head. No dysarthria or other neurological symptoms, no dyspnea. Neurological examination: Cranial Nerve (CN) CN XII: Nasal voice, bilateral atrophy of the tongue with tremor and fasciculations. Motor: Diffuse atrophy and decreased tone of the sternocleidomastoid and trapezii bilaterally, strength: 2/5 in neck flexors and extensors. Sensory: Hypoesthesia of the tongue. The rest of his neurological examination was normal. Labs: Routine blood work, thyroid function tests, collagen vascular work-up, and protein electrophoresis were normal. Creatine Phosphokinase (CPK) and Acetylcholine Receptor Antibodies (AChR Ab) were negative. Brain and Spinal Cord MRI: Showed mild brainstem, cerebellar and cervical spinal atrophy.

Patients with ALS initially present with symptoms localized to the limbs or bulbar muscles. A very small percentage 1-2% of ALS patients had neck muscle weakness with head drop (Jokelainen et al, 1977; Gourie-Devi et al, 2003). However, in all the previously reported cases, the patients had limb involvement at the time of presentation which was absent in this case, and the head drop occurred after the onset of symptoms (Lange et al, 1986; Katz et al; 1996). Dropped head syndrome can be seen in inflammatory myopathies, myasthenia gravis, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, nemaline myopathy and carnitine deficiency (Umapathy et al, 2003) but ALS should also be considered in patients with atypical presentations.

Lumateperone (lumateperone tosylate, ITI-007) is an investigational drug for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar depression, and other disorders. Lumateperone has a unique mechanism of action that simultaneously modulates serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate neurotransmission. This may provide advantages in the treatment of the broad symptoms associated with schizophrenia, including negative and depression symptoms. In 2 previous placebo-controlled trials in patients with acute schizophrenia, lumateperone 42mg (ITI-007 60mg) demonstrated statistically significant improvement in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Total score compared with placebo. In these studies, lumateperone was well tolerated with a safety profile similar to placebo. This open-label long-term study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of lumateperone 42mg in patients with schizophrenia and stable symptoms.

Patients with stable schizophrenia were treated for up to 1 year with lumateperone 42mg. Safety assessments included adverse events (AEs), body weight, laboratory parameters, and extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS)/motor symptom assessments. Efficacy analyses included evaluation of changes in PANSS Total score and in depression symptoms, as measured by the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS).

In the 1-year open-label study, 602 patients received at least 1 dose of lumateperone 42mg; at the time of this interim analysis, 107 patients had completed 1 year of treatment. Only 4 TEAEs occurred in ≥5% of patients (weight decrease, dry mouth, headache and diarrhea); the majority of AEs were mild or moderate in intensity. Most metabolic parameters and mean prolactin levels decreased from SOC baseline, as did mean body weight and BMI. Based on AE reporting and EPS/motor symptom scales, lumateperone treatment was associated with minimal EPS risk. Lumateperone 42mg treatment was associated with significant reductions in PANSS Total score from baseline, with continuing PANSS improvement throughout the study. In patients with moderate-to-severe depression symptoms at baseline (CDSS>5), mean CDSS scores decreased from 7.4 (baseline) to 3.1 (Day 300); 60% of patients met CDSS response criteria (50% improvement from baseline) by Day 75 and this response rate was maintained through day 300. Similar magnitude of CDSS improvement was seen regardless of concurrent antidepressant therapy.

In long-term treatment, lumateperone was associated with minimal metabolic, EPS, and cardiovascular safety issues relative to current SOC antipsychotic therapy. Lumateperone improved schizophrenia symptoms with continued long-term treatment. In patients with moderate-to-severe depression symptoms at baseline, lumateperone treatment was associated with marked improvement in CDSS scores. These data are consistent with and extend data previously reported in placebo-controlled studies in patients with acute schizophrenia treated with lumateperone.

Supported by funding from Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.

Treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, both of which have demonstrated short-term efficacy. While efficacious, there are limitations to both modalities of treatment. Due partly to these limitations, there has been considerable interest in additional approaches to augmenting ADHD management. Digital therapeutics may offer improved access, minimal side effects, and low potential for abuse, while providing targeted treatment options for improving cognitive functions such as attention. AKL-T01 (EndeavorRx®) is the first and only FDA-cleared nonpharmacological prescription digital therapeutic delivered through a video game interface for the treatment of ADHD.

The objective is to summarize the data from a clinical trial in support of FDA clearance using AKL-T01 adjunctively in children currently taking stimulant medication for ADHD.

The STARS-Adjunct Trial was a multicenter, 12-week, open-label study of AKL-T01 in 206 children aged 8 to 14 years with a confirmed diagnosis of primarily inattentive or combined-type ADHD. The study included two cohorts: (1) subjects currently treated with ADHD medication (n=130) and (2) subjects not on any ADHD medication (n=76). Subjects had an ADHD Impairment Rating Scale (IRS) score ≥3 at baseline, and both cohorts used AKL-T01 for approximately 25 minutes per day, 5 days per week, over two 4-week treatment periods separated by a 4-week treatment pause.

AKL-T01 significantly improved (lowered) ADHD-related impairment as measured with the IRS (clinician rated) after the first 4-week treatment in both cohorts (P< 0.001). Results show that effects persist during a 4-week treatment pause and further improve with a second 4-week treatment period. A majority of parents and children indicated a perceived improvement in ability to pay attention after the trial. Most common device-related adverse events were decreased frustration tolerance, headache, and irritability which ranged from mild to moderate. No serious adverse events were reported.

This study adds to and extends the clinical evidence base for AKL-T01, a video game-based treatment for improving attentional functioning in 8–12-year-old children with ADHD. Continued evaluation of the effects of AKL-T01 on other important aspects of functioning, like academic and social functioning, health utilization, and health outcomes, would continue to add to the evidence base that the effects observed in this and previous studies have substantial clinical and functional impact.

Akili Interactive

Lumateperone (ITI-007) is in late-phase clinical development for schizophrenia. Lumateperone has a unique mechanism of action that modulates serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate neurotransmission. This pooled analysis of lumateperone in 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies was conducted to evaluate the safety and tolerability of lumateperone 42mg (ITI-007 60mg).

Data were pooled from the 3 controlled late-phase studies of lumateperone 42mg in patients with acute exacerbation of schizophrenia. Safety assessments of all patients who received at least one dose of any treatment included treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), changes in laboratory parameters, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), and vital signs.

The safety population comprised 1,073 patients (placebo [n=412], lumateperone 42mg [n=406], risperidone [n=255]). TEAEs that occurred in the lumateperone 42mg group at a rate of ≥5% and twice placebo were somnolence/sedation (24.1% vs 10.0%) and dry mouth (5.9% vs 2.2%). Rates of discontinuation due to TEAEs with lumateperone 42mg (0.5%) were similar to placebo (0.5%) and lower than risperidone (4.7%). Mean change in weight and rates of EPS-related TEAEs were less for lumateperone 42mg and placebo patients than risperidone patients. Mean change from baseline in metabolic parameters were similar or smaller for lumateperone 42mg vs placebo. Mean changes were notably higher in risperidone patients vs lumateperone 42mg and placebo for glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and prolactin.

In this pooled analysis, lumateperone 42mg showed good tolerability with potential benefits over risperidone for metabolic, prolactin, and EPS risks. The only TEAE that occurred in >10% of lumateperone patients was somnolence/sedation, which was impacted by morning administration; in subsequent studies that administered lumateperone in the evening, somnolence/sedation rates were markedly reduced. These results suggest that lumateperone 42mg may be a promising new treatment for schizophrenia.

Supported by funding from Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.

Chorea is a prominent motor dysfunction in Huntington’s disease (HD). Deutetrabenazine, a vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor, is FDA-approved for the treatment of chorea in HD. In the pivotal, 12-week First-HD trial, deutetrabenazine treatment reduced the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) total maximal chorea (TMC) score versus placebo. ARC-HD, an open-label extension study, evaluated long-term safety and efficacy of deutetrabenazine dosed in a response-driven manner for treatment of HD chorea.

Patients who completed First-HD (Rollover) and patients who converted overnight from a stable dose of tetrabenazine (Switch) were included. Safety was assessed over the entire treatment period; exposure-adjusted incidence rates (EAIRs; adverse events [AEs] per person-year) were calculated. A stable, post-titration time point of 8 weeks was chosen for efficacy analyses.

Of 119 patients enrolled (Rollover, n=82; Switch, n=37), 100 (84%) completed ≥1 year of treatment (mean [SD] follow-up, 119 [48] weeks). End of study EAIRs for patients in the Rollover and Switch cohorts, respectively, were: any AE, 2.6 and 4.3; serious AEs, 0.13 and 0.14; AEs leading to dose suspension, 0.05 and 0.04. Overall, 68% and 73% of patients in Rollover and Switch, respectively, experienced a study drug–related AE. Most common AEs possibly related to study drug were somnolence (17% Rollover; 27% Switch), depression (23%; 19%), anxiety (9%; 11%), insomnia (10%; 8%), and akathisia (9%; 14%). Rates of AEs of interest include suicidality (9%; 3%) and parkinsonism (6%; 11%). In both cohorts, mean UHDRS TMC score and total motor score (TMS) decreased from baseline to Week 8; mean (SD) change in TMC score (units) was –4.4 (3.1) and –2.1 (3.3) and change in TMS was –7.1 (7.3) and –2.4 (8.7) in Rollover and Switch, respectively. While receiving stable dosing from Week 8 to 132 (or end of treatment), patients showed minimal change in TMC score (0.9 [5.0]), but TMS increased compared to Week 8 (9.0 [11.3]). Upon drug withdrawal, there were no remarkable AEs and TMC scores increased 4.4 (3.7) units compared to end of treatment.

The type and severity of AEs observed in long-term deutetrabenazine exposure are consistent with the previous study. Efficacy in reducing chorea persisted over time. There was no unexpected worsening of HD or chorea associated with HD upon deutetrabenazine withdrawal.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Petach Tikva, Israel

Valbenazine (INGREZZA; VBZ) is a novel and highly selective vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor that is approved for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in adults. The randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled trials of VBZ evaluated the treatment of TD in patients with a primary psychiatric diagnosis (schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder or mood disorder) while on concomitant psychiatric medications to manage these disorders. Since treatment-emergent depression and suicidal ideation/behavior are important clinical concerns in psychiatric patient populations, data from these trials were analyzed to assess the effectsof once-daily VBZ on depression and suicidality.

Data were pooled from three 6-week trials: KINECT (NCT01688037), KINECT 2 (NCT01733121), KINECT 3 (NCT02274558). Outcome data were analyzed in the safety population by pooled VBZ doses (40 mg, 80 mg) and PBO. Outcomes of interest included: treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) related to depression or suicidality; mean score change from baseline to Week 6 in the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS, for participants with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder) or the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS, for participants with mood disorder); and, worsening from baseline in Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) suicidal ideation scores. All outcomes were analyzed descriptively.

There were 400 total participants in the pooled safety population; 286 participants had schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (40 mg, n=82; 80 mg, n=70; PBO, n=134) and 114 had a mood disorder (40 mg, n=28; 80 mg, n=42; PBO, n=44). Over one-third of participants had a lifetime history of suicidal ideation or behavior (40 mg, 45%; 80 mg, 39%; PBO, 37%). Few participants had a depression- or suicide-related TEAE, with no apparent differences between VBZ and PBO: suicidal ideation (40 mg, 3.6%; 80 mg, 0.9%; PBO, 2.2%); depression (40 mg, 0%; 80 mg, 1.8%; PBO, 1.1%); depressive symptom (40 mg, 0.9%; 80 mg, 0%; PBO, 0.6%); suicide attempt (40 mg, 0%; 80 mg, 0.9%; PBO, 0%). Mean changes from baseline to Week 6 in depression scale scores were generally small and similar across treatment groups: CDSS total score (40 mg, -0.5; 80 mg, -0.6; PBO, -0.3); MADRS total score (40 mg, -0.2; 80 mg, -1.7; PBO, 0.6). Few participants had a shift from no suicidal ideation at baseline (C-SSRS score=0) to any suicidal ideation during treatment (C-SSRS score=1-5): 40 mg, 3.9% (4/103); 80 mg, 0.9% (1/111); PBO, 2.9% (5/174).

Data from 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials indicate that once-daily VBZ treatment was not associated with a worsening in depression-related symptoms or an increased risk of suicidal ideation or behavior.

This study was funded by Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.

Switching antipsychotic medications is common in patients with schizophrenia who are experiencing persistent symptoms or tolerability issues associated with their current drug regimen. This analysis assessed the safety of switching from an oral antipsychotic to the long-acting injectable antipsychotic aripiprazole lauroxil (AL).

This was a post hoc analysis of outpatients with schizophrenia who were prescribed an oral antipsychotic and who enrolled in an international, open-label, long-term (52-week) safety study of AL. The analysis focused on the first 3 injections of AL 882 mg over 12 weeks, divided into the immediate 4-week crossover period between the first and second AL injections (initiation phase) and the subsequent 8 weeks (stabilization phase). Patients were grouped by preswitch oral antipsychotic medication, and safety and clinical symptoms were assessed.

In total, 190 patients had switched from one of the following oral antipsychotic medications: aripiprazole, conventional antipsychotics, risperidone/paliperidone, olanzapine, or quetiapine. The 12-week completion rate was high (92.1%) and similar across the different preswitch oral antipsychotic groups. Overall, adverse event (AE) rates experienced over 12 weeks were modest; no AEs were considered serious. The most common AEs in the initiation phase were injection site pain (5.8%), insomnia (5.8%), and akathisia (3.2%). No apparent relationship was observed between preswitch medication and early-onset AEs. Mean Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total scores remained stable during this period across preswitch antipsychotic groups.

Switching from an oral antipsychotic to AL was feasible in an outpatient setting for patients with schizophrenia, and the 12-week retention rate was favorable.