Praxis Precision enters epilepsy research deal with UCB

US clinical stage biotech Praxis Precision Medicines’ (Nasdaq: PRAX) shares closed up nearly 5% yesterday and rose a further 2.3% to $2.25 pre-market, on the news of a strategic collaboration with Belgium’s UCB (Euronext Brussels: UCB), based on Praxis’ PRAX-020 program, for the discovery of small molecule therapeutics as potential treatments of KCNT1 related epilepsies.

“We are excited to partner with UCB, a global leader in epilepsy drug development, as we work together toward a novel approach for the treatment of KCNT1 related epilepsy, which has no approved therapies currently,” said Marcio Souza, president and chief executive of Praxis. “Our internal research efforts give us confidence that small molecules can selectively inhibit the KCNT1 channel, and potentially could be an effective treatment for individuals suffering from KCNT1 related epilepsy. The collaboration with UCB validates this approach and will allow us to accelerate efforts toward a potential treatment for KCNT1 patients,” he noted.

Financial terms