Data on the involvement of the histaminergic system in the stimulating effect of a new drug candidate (THN 102) are being presented at the 11th Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum by biopharma company, Theranexus.
Brain
The research, which was carried out in partnership with the Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences in Lyon, the Montpellier university hospital and the Collège de France, evaluated the activity of the THN 102 combination (modafinil/flecainide) using a preclinical model deficient in histamine production. It demonstrated that the histaminergic system is involved in stimulating the effect of the drug.
“These results, carried out with the leading teams in the field of sleep arousal disorders, provide new evidence concerning the manner in which modafinil's stimulating effect is enhanced by flecainide and, in particular, about the neurotransmission pathways involved. This research confirms the importance of our glial connexin modulators in strengthening the activity of various neuronal pathways,” explained Mathieu Charvériat, chief scientific officer at Theranexus.
THN 102 is a combination treatment for wakefulness impairments in narcolepsy and Parkinson’s disease. It is currently in Phase II clinical evaluation in narcolepsy and the company will be starting a Phase II trial, assessing the combination therapy as a treatment for excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson's disease.