Valeant Pharmaceuticals publishes phase II results for retigabine

Valeant Pharmaceuticals has announced the publication of the results of a phase II clinical study of retigabine as a treatment for partial-onset seizures in refractory epilepsy patients.

The results showed that patients administered with the compound exhibited a reduction in seizure rates. Following the announcement of these results, the company reports that two key phase III trials to assess the compound are now ongoing.

Retigabine is believed to cause a hyperpolarising shift modulating the excitability of the neuronal cells by opening neuronal potassium channels, a mechanism of action that is distinct from other antiepileptic treatments.

Roger J Porter, lead author of the study, said: “There is a clear need for the development of antiepileptic drugs with new mechanisms of action to improve the management of patients whose epilepsy is not controlled by current medications.”

He added that, if approved, retigabine would fit this profile and meet a market need for novel epilepsy therapy, with the phase II data suggesting that the compound is effective for hard-to-treat partial seizures.

Earlier this year, Valeant Pharmaceutical announced that it is currently developing a new formulation of diazepam for the treatment of emergency seizures that can be administered intranasally.