BRIEF—Pharmanovia gains rights to novel narcolepsy med

UK-based Pharmanovia has expanded its neurology portfolio by acquiring certain rights to Sunosi (solriamfetol) from Axsome Therapeutics.

Pharmanovia is focused on expanding and extending the life cycle of established medicines.

The deal will give the firm exclusive marketing rights to the first-in-class medicine, which is used to improve wakefulness and reduce excessive daytime sleepiness, in Europe and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The firm will launch a Phase III study and longer-term extension study to explore the use of the therapy in children with narcolepsy.

Under the terms of the deal, the company also has the right to explore solriamfetol’s potential in other neurological conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Chief executive James Burt said: “Clinical research in children is inherently more sensitive and, as a result, there are countless medical interventions with the potential to bring life-changing benefits to young people that have simply not been tested and, therefore, cannot currently be used.”