Epilepsy drug star of R&D day as UCB unveils 10 candidates in clinical testing

At its first R&D day, Belgian drugmaker UCB updated the media on its development pipeline. The firm's next-generation anti-epilspy drug brivaracetam was the star of the London, UK, meeting on the strength of positive data which could position it as a sucessor to UCB's mainstay drug Keppra (levetiracetam), allowing the firm to maintain its lucrative epilepsy franchise.

In a Phase II clinical trial, 50mg of the agent reduced seizure frequency over placebo in patients with partial-onset, inadequately-controlled seizures 53% versus 22%. A second Phase II study confirmed the efficacy of this daily dose, with the higher dose evaluated (150mg per day) not conferring added efficacy. 50mg of brivaracetam reduced seizure frequency 38% vs 19% in the second trial.

Melanie Lee, UCB's executive vice president of R&D, stressed the fact that both studies included patients who were not adequately controlled by Keppra, which makes her hopeful that "brivaracetam is well poised to be [Keppra's] next-generation replacement." Based on the strong results so far, the firm is planning to initiate Phase III trials of brivaracetam in the first half of next year.