European Biotech Start-ups Secure €40 Million in Financing for Developing Treatments for Narcolepsy (Originating from the UK)
Medicxi Ventures, a venture capital firm, has announced an investment of €40M in two new virtual companies, Orexia and Inexia, spun out of Sosei Heptares. The funding will cover the development of these drugs until proof of concept in humans.
Heptares Therapeutics, based in the United Kingdom, discovered the drug candidates through its platform to develop drugs against difficult-to-target molecules known as G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Both Orexia and Inexia will be based in London and will operate virtually, outsourcing much of the work to Heptares.
Orexia will focus on developing oral therapies for narcolepsy, with its lead drug, oveporexton (ORX-750), working as an orexin receptor 2 agonist. This drug directly stimulates the orexin system to reduce excessive daytime sleepiness. In contrast, current drugs like Jazz Pharma's Xyrem, approved for narcolepsy with cataplexy, primarily act by consolidating nighttime sleep and reducing cataplexy through different neurotransmitter pathways.
Compared to Xyrem’s indirect modulation of sleep architecture, Oveporexton targets the underlying orexin deficiency in narcolepsy by activating orexin receptors, which are crucial for wakefulness regulation. This approach aims to restore the natural wake-promoting signaling that is impaired in narcolepsy, potentially offering a direct therapeutic effect.
Inexia, on the other hand, will work on intranasal delivery of the drugs through a collaboration with the US pharmaceutical Optinose. However, no specific information about Inexia's narcolepsy drugs or mechanisms relative to Orexia’s oveporexton or Xyrem was found in the search results.
Medicxi Ventures has a history in the area, with its portfolio company Minerva Neuroscience developing a drug to block orexin for insomnia treatment. The success of the drugs developed by Orexia and Inexia could lead to improved treatments for narcolepsy, where new solutions are needed.
Comparison of Drugs
| Drug | Mechanism | Effect on Narcolepsy | |--------------------|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------| | Oveporexton (Orexia) | Orexin receptor 2 agonist | Directly stimulates wake-promoting orexin system, reducing daytime sleepiness | | Xyrem (Sodium Oxybate) | Modulates GABA receptors and sleep architecture | Consolidates nighttime sleep, reduces cataplexy indirectly |
Oveporexton represents a novel, targeted approach to treating narcolepsy by addressing orexin deficiency more directly than Xyrem. The development of these drugs could potentially offer a significant advancement in the treatment of narcolepsy.
[1] This comparison is based on the mechanisms and effects of the drugs as described in the provided information. For more detailed and up-to-date information, please consult the respective drug manufacturers or healthcare professionals.
The biotech venture Orexia, which is based in London, is developing a novel drug called oveporexton (ORX-750), a direct orexin receptor 2 agonist, aiming to reduce excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy. On the other hand, the science behind the health-and-wellness sector's Xyrem, developed by Jazz Pharma, primarily acts by modulating GABA receptors and consolidating nighttime sleep, providing an indirect effect on reducing cataplexy in narcolepsy patients. The mental-health focus of Inexia, despite collaboration with Optinose for intranasal drug delivery, does not have specific details available about its narcolepsy drugs or mechanisms compared to Orexia’s oveporexton or Xyrem.
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