Benzinga | Jul 13, 2020 07:02AM EDT

Axsome Therapeutics Completes Successful FDA Pre-NDA Meeting For AXS-05 For Treatment Of Major Depressive Disorder; NDA Submission On Track For Q4

NDA submission on track for 4Q 2020

NEW YORK, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXSM), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for the management of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced that it has completed a successful pre-New Drug Application (NDA) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for AXS-05 for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). AXS-05 is a novel, oral, investigational NMDA receptor antagonist with multimodal activity. The purpose of the meeting was to reach agreement with the FDA on the proposed content and format of the Company's planned NDA submission including the clinical and nonclinical requirements.

Based on the feedback from the FDA, the Company believes its regulatory data package will be sufficient to support an NDA for AXS-05 in MDD, and Axsome remains on track to submit the planned NDA in the fourth quarter of 2020. Acceptance of the final NDA will be subject to the FDA's review of the complete filing. Axsome received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for AXS-05 for the treatment of MDD in March 2019.

"Axsome is pleased with the outcome of our recent pre-NDA meeting with the FDA, which confirmed the studies and data to be presented in our planned NDA submission of AXS-05 in major depressive disorder," said Herriot Tabuteau, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Axsome. "We remain on track to complete the submission in the fourth quarter. As a Breakthrough Therapy designated program, AXS-05 is eligible for Priority Review, and we look forward to continuing to work with the FDA to bring this new potential therapy to patients living with depression as quickly as possible. If approved, AXS-05 has the potential to be the first oral, NMDA receptor antagonist for the treatment of depression."

Axsome previously announced positive results from two pivotal, randomized, controlled trials of AXS-05 in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of moderate to severe MDD, the GEMINI and ASCEND trials, which demonstrated rapid, substantial, and statistically significant reductions in depressive symptoms with AXS-05 compared to control. In the 327-patient, placebo-controlled GEMINI trial, AXS-05 met the primary endpoint by demonstrating a reduction from baseline in the Montgomery-?sberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score of 16.6 points at Week 6 compared to 11.9 points for placebo (p=0.002). AXS-05 rapidly and durably improved depressive symptoms as compared to placebo with statistical significance on the MADRS total score demonstrated at Week 1 (p=0.007), the earliest time point assessed, and at all time points thereafter. Remission was achieved by 39.5% of AXS-05 patients compared to 17.3% of placebo patients at Week 6 (p<0.001). In the active-controlled ASCEND trial, which enrolled 80 patients with confirmed moderate to severe MDD, AXS-05 met the primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant average mean reduction from baseline in the MADRS total score over the 6-week treatment period of 13.7 points for AXS-05 compared to 8.8 for bupropion (p<0.001). At Week 6, AXS-05 demonstrated a 17.2 point reduction in the MADRS total score compared to a 12.1 point reduction for bupropion (p=0.013). AXS-05 was well tolerated in both trials with the most commonly reported adverse events in the AXS-05 arm being dizziness, nausea, headache, diarrhea, somnolence, and dry mouth. Treatment with AXS-05 was not associated with psychotomimetic effects, weight gain, or increased sexual dysfunction.

About Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating, chronic, biologically-based disorder characterized by low mood, inability to feel pleasure, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, low energy, and other emotional and physical symptoms, and which impairs social, occupational, educational, or other important functioning. In severe cases, MDD can result in suicide. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 7.1% of U.S. adults, or approximately 17.3 million, experience MDD each year1. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease2. Nearly two-thirds of diagnosed and treated patients do not experience adequate treatment response with currently available first-line therapy3, highlighting the need for additional therapies with new mechanisms of action. The majority of initial failures also fail second-line treatment. Patients diagnosed with MDD are defined as having treatment resistant depression (TRD) if they have failed to respond to two or more antidepressant therapies.