BioXcel Therapeutics Announces First Patients Dosed in SERENITY III Phase 3 Trial for Acute Treatment of Agitation in Adults with Bipolar I or II Disorder or Schizophrenia
SERENITY III will evaluate the efficacy and safety of BXCL501 for at-home use
Top-line pivotal data expected in 1H 2023
Estimated 23 million annual agitation episodes in the home-setting would more than double current market opportunity for BXCL501 in the U.S. 1-4
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Nov. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BTAI), a biopharmaceutical company utilizing artificial intelligence approaches to develop transformative medicines in neuroscience and immuno-oncology, today announced that the first 13 patients have been dosed in Part 1 of the pivotal Phase 3 SERENITY III trial investigating at-home use of BXCL501 (dexmedetomidine) sublingual film, the Company’s proprietary, orally dissolving film, for agitation associated with bipolar I or II disorder or schizophrenia.
“Evaluating BXCL501 for at-home use is an exciting and important milestone that potentially expands the market opportunity for the treatment of agitation and drives the growth of our neuroscience franchise,” said Robert Risinger, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Neuroscience of BioXcel Therapeutics. “We anticipate top-line data from SERENITY III as well as our TRANQUILITY II trial for Alzheimer’s-related agitation in the first half of 2023. These two near-term pivotal data readouts further reinforce the potential of BXCL501 to address the unmet medical needs of millions of patients.”
The treatment of agitation represents a significant market opportunity. There are approximately 39 million reported agitation episodes that occur in the U.S. each year related to bipolar disorders and schizophrenia.1-4 23 million of these episodes occur outside of the institutional setting, potentially more than doubling the current market opportunity for BXCL501.
SERENITY III is a two-part, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pivotal study designed to evaluate BXCL501 60mcg dose for at-home use. This strategic trial design follows a Type B meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and observed dose-dependent responses in a prior Phase 1/2b study assessing a range of doses. The first part of the study is similar to SERENITY I and II and designed to assess the efficacy and safety of a 60mcg dose in acutely agitated patients with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia in a monitored setting. The primary efficacy endpoint is the change from baseline in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-Excitatory Component (PEC) total score at two hours after dosing compared to placebo. In Part 1, approximately 200 patients will be enrolled at up to approximately 20 clinical sites in the U.S. The second part of the study is designed to assess the safety of 60mcg dose compared to placebo when self-administered at home. SERENITY III will utilize many of the same investigators and clinical sites as SERENITY I and II.
