お知らせ • May 12
Newron Announces Approval for Pivotal Phase III ENIGMA-TRS Program with Evenamide as Add-On Therapy in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia (TRS)
Newron Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. announced the approval for its pivotal ENIGMA-TRS Phase III development program evaluating evenamide as an add-on therapy to current antipsychotics, including clozapine, in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). The ENIGMA-TRS Phase III development program consists of two pivotal studies, ENIGMA-TRS 1 and ENIGMA-TRS 2. The two studies are expected to meet the ICH (International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use) specified regulatory requirements for submission of the registration dossier for evenamide in major territories, including the US and Europe. ENIGMA-TRS 1 is an international, 52-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III study evaluating the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of the 15mg BID and 30mg BID therapeutic doses of evenamide compared to placebo. Patients on second-generation anti-psychotics (SGAs), including clozapine, will meet Treatment Response and Resistance Psychosis (TRRIP) international consensus criteria for TRS. ENIGMA-TRS 1 will enroll at least 600 patients at study centers in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Canada. Patients will undergo a 42-day screening period, during which their TRS diagnosis, antipsychotic plasma levels (background medication), and conformance to protocol selection criteria will be evaluated by an Independent Eligibility Assessment Committee (IEAC) of three leading international schizophrenia experts. The primary assessment of efficacy and safety will be performed 12 weeks after randomization to treatment. The study will continue double-blind and placebo-controlled until the 52-week (i.e. one year) time point. Enrolment to the study will start imminently. The 12-week results from the study are expected in Fourth Quarter 2026. ENIGMA-TRS 2, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will be performed at centers in the US and selected additional countries and will include at least 400 patients in a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III study, designed to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of the 15mg BID dose of evenamide. Patients will meet selection criteria and be reviewed by the above-mentioned IEAC. The analysis for determination of efficacy and safety will be performed after patients complete 12 weeks of participation in the trial. US investigational centers are expected to initiate the study within the next three months. The Phase III ENIGMA-TRS clinical trials are part of Newron’s development program for evenamide, targeting patients with schizophrenia experiencing worsening of psychosis on therapeutic doses of current antipsychotics, as well as treatment-resistant patients, which together account for the vast majority of patients suffering from schizophrenia. Results from previous Phase II (study 014/015) and Phase III (study 008A) studies have demonstrated evenamide’s significant and increasing efficacy as an add-on therapy on multiple measures of psychopathology in patients with TRS and inadequate responders, respectively. These results also confirmed a favorable safety and tolerability profile, adding to the growing evidence that evenamide’s glutamatergic inhibition mechanism of action offers an innovative therapeutic option to schizophrenia patients who are not benefiting from current antipsychotic treatments.
Newron has entered into licensing agreements with EA Pharma, a subsidiary of Eisai, in Japan and other designated territories, and with Myung In Pharm in South Korea, to develop, manufacture and commercialize evenamide in the respective territories. Under the terms of the agreements, Newron will receive up to a maximum total of EUR 117 million, including an upfront payment of EUR 44 million, financial contributions to the Phase III ENIGMA-TRS program, milestone payments, and tiered royalties up to a double-digit percentage of net sales for evenamide, from EA Pharma; Myung In Pharm will contribute 10% of the total patient population to be enrolled into Newron’s upcoming Phase III ENIGMA-TRS trial and cover the costs related to this population.