Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:MRNS) announced the successful completion of Phase II Epilepsy study after examining the potential candidate, ganaxolone, for treatment of patients suffering from the CDKL5 disorder. The findings would support the progressive development of the candidate in a late-stage study. The announcement made on September 19 significantly increased the company’s market share to 33% immediately after the news was revealed.
The company’s share price rose to 310.9% in the beginning of this year, drastically outperforming the industry’s overall gain of 4.6% during the same period. Ganaxolone is known as the CNS-selective GABAA modulator which would be administered in three possible dose forms namely, the IV, capsule, and liquid with an intention to maximize therapeutic reach to patients with acute and chronic care conditions.
The new ganaxolone drug is proposed to treat the unusual genetic disorder CDKL5, a condition that leads to early-onset seizures in patients that are complex to control. The study enrolled up to 10 patients in the mid-stage clinical trial and the data shows significant improvement with three out of four patients reporting a reduction in seizure frequency from 52% to 88%. One patient terminated the trial after four months as a result of lack of efficacy.
According to Simos Simeonidis, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, the latest results especially the response rate and the varying reductions in seizure frequency in patients are nonetheless ‘encouraging’ and a relief to patients who find it hard to control the condition. The epileptic study achieved its aim with a median decrease in seizure frequency of about 43% in less than a month among the participants enrolled in the study. Also, the data demonstrated a drastic increase of 73% seizure-free days compared to patients not enrolled in the program.
Marinus is focused on extending treatments for patients suffering from prolonged epilepsy and neuropsychiatric disorders. CDKL5 is an odd genetic disorder that mostly affects young girls and is normally distinguished by uncontrollable seizures and rigorous neuro-developmental impairment which affects the patient’s ability to talk and walk.
