Saniona announced that positive preclinical data on Saniona's lead ion-channel drug candidate and phase 2 ready asset, SAN711, will be presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) 11th-15th November 2023, Washington DC. The data shows strong suppression of absence seizures, which demonstrates that SAN711 represents a novel precision approach for treatment of non-convulsive generalized seizures. Professor Vincenzo Crunelli, Cardiff University, U.K., has evaluated SAN711 in the highly predictive and translatable animal model for absence seizures, the GAERS rat model.

SAN711 demonstrated robust dose-related suppression of Spike-Wave-Discharges (SWDs), which are the EEG manifestations of absence seizures supporting clinical efficacy in absence seizures. Saniona has replicated Professor Vincenzo CrUNelli's exciting findings in the GAERS rat model at the contract research laboratory, Synapcell (France), where SAN711 was administrated peroral and compared to valproate, which is used as first line therapy today. SAN711 is a unique subtype selective activator of GABAA a3 receptors.

A Phase 1 study in 2022 demonstrated that SAN711 is safe and well tolerated in humans. A parallel Positron Emission Tomography (PET) biomarker study confirmed that it is possible to reach relevant receptor occupancies at well tolerated doses opening for continued clinical development of the asset.