Newron Pharmaceuticals has reported breakthrough results for evenamide, its novel add-on therapy for schizophrenia, demonstrating unprecedented outcomes in treatment-resistant patients and meeting key endpoints in a Phase II/III trial. The Italian biopharmaceutical company's data positions evenamide as a potential game-changer for patients with limited therapeutic options.
Unprecedented Results in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia
The most striking results emerged from Newron's Phase II trial (study 014/015) evaluating evenamide in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). The study demonstrated that 70% of patients showed meaningful reductions in disease severity, with 25% achieving remission—an outcome never previously observed in this challenging patient population.
"We believe evenamide has the potential to bring enormous benefits to patients and create significant value for shareholders," stated CEO Stefan Weber, highlighting the drug's potential impact on an underserved patient group.
Phase II/III Trial Meets Primary and Secondary Endpoints
In a separate placebo-controlled Phase II/III study (EudraCT Number: 2020-006062-36), evenamide demonstrated statistically significant efficacy when added to second-generation antipsychotic treatments in 291 patients with chronic schizophrenia. The four-week randomized trial met its primary endpoint by showing improvement in symptom severity as measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Total Score.
The therapy also achieved its secondary endpoint, demonstrating improvement in the Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S) scale. These results from study 008A further validate evenamide's safety and efficacy profile across different schizophrenia patient populations.
Favorable Safety Profile
Evenamide maintained a favorable safety and tolerability profile throughout the trials. In the Phase II/III study, only 25% of participants experienced at least one adverse event. Three participants discontinued the trial due to adverse events—two in the treatment group and one in the placebo group who died during the trial. The most commonly observed evenamide-related adverse events were headache, vomiting, and nasopharyngitis.
Advancing Toward Phase III Development
Building on these positive results, Newron is preparing for a "potentially pivotal" placebo-controlled Phase III trial evaluating evenamide as an add-on treatment in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The study is expected to enroll at least 400 patients and begin in 2025, positioning the drug for potential regulatory approval.
The company is actively exploring partnerships to fund the next stage of clinical trials, having received multiple offers for licensing agreements. Newron expects to finalize a transaction soon to drive further development of evenamide.
Market Impact and Financial Position
Following the release of topline results, Newron's stock price increased by 17.8% at market open on April 30, reflecting investor confidence in the drug's potential. The company reported a net loss of EUR 9.6 million for the first half of 2024, compared to EUR 7 million in the same period the previous year, with R&D expenses rising to EUR 6.5 million driven by ongoing clinical trials.
Cash reserves at the end of June 2024 stood at EUR 12.2 million, sufficient to fund operations well into 2025. The company continues to develop and market its Parkinson's disease treatment, Xadago® (safinamide), in collaboration with global partners, with recent settlements delaying generic competition in the U.S. market until 2027.
Competitive Landscape
The schizophrenia treatment landscape has seen significant investment from various companies. Karuna Therapeutics' KarXT (xanomeline-trospium), a dual M1/M4 muscarinic agonist, represents one of the most anticipated therapies in development, with a PDUFA date of September 26, 2024. If approved, KarXT would represent a new class of medication for schizophrenia patients.
However, the field has also experienced setbacks, with Acadia Pharmaceuticals shutting down its pimavanserin program in March 2024 after the therapy failed to meet its primary endpoint in the Phase III ADVANCE-2 clinical trial.
Newron's evenamide results stand out in this competitive environment, particularly given the unprecedented remission rates observed in treatment-resistant patients—a population with historically poor outcomes and limited therapeutic options.
