BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Karuna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Karuna”), focused on targeting muscarinic cholinergic receptors for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders marked by psychosis and cognitive impairment, today announced that Stephen Brannan, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Karuna, will present a poster outlining results of the Phase 1 study of its proprietary KarXT (Karuna-Xanomeline-Trospium) co-formulation, on Monday, December 10, 2018, from 5:30-7:30pm EST at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting in Hollywood, Florida.
The Phase 1 dose-ranging study of KarXT enrolled 69 healthy volunteers and successfully demonstrated tolerability at dose levels exceeding those shown to be efficacious in previous studies of xanomeline alone. The co-formulation also achieved exposure levels equivalent to or higher than the separate dosage forms used previously, and the results supported dose selection to be carried forward into Phase 2. There were no severe or serious adverse events reported in the co-formulation study. Side effects associated with KarXT were mild-to-moderate and transient in nature, often only lasting a few hours, and they were consistent with the previous KarXT study that used separate dosage forms for xanomeline and trospium.
The new KarXT co-formulation performed well in humans and has been carried forward into a Phase 2 study in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of KarXT in approximately 160 patients with schizophrenia. Top-line results from the Phase 2 study are expected at the end of 2019.
About KarXT
KarXT (Karuna-Xanomeline-Trospium)
is Karuna’s lead investigational product candidate for the treatment of
psychosis in schizophrenia. It consists of xanomeline, a novel
muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist that has demonstrated efficacy
in placebo-controlled human trials in schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s
disease, and trospium chloride, an FDA-approved and well-established
muscarinic receptor antagonist that has been shown not to enter the
central nervous system (CNS). KarXT is designed to selectively target
M1/M4 muscarinic receptors in the brain while blocking their activation
in peripheral tissues to significantly improve tolerability. Results
from a Phase 1 study demonstrating the improved tolerability of KarXT
vs. xanomeline alone were announced in 2016, and a more recent Phase 1
study completed in 2018 supported the development of a co-formulation of
KarXT that is now being evaluated in a Phase 2 study.
About Karuna Pharmaceuticals
Karuna is a clinical-stage drug
development company targeting muscarinic cholinergic receptors for the
treatment of psychosis and cognitive impairment across central nervous
system (CNS) disorders, including schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease,
as well as pain. Karuna’s lead product candidate, KarXT (Karuna-Xanomeline-Trospium),
is being evaluated in a Phase 2 study in people with schizophrenia, with
top-line results anticipated at the end of 2019. Karuna, which was
founded by PureTech
Health (LSE: PRTC), has a worldwide exclusive license for xanomeline
and has a patent portfolio more broadly covering selective muscarinic
targeting enabled by the KarXT approach. For more information, visit www.karunapharma.com.
Forward Looking Statement
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