Kazia Therapeutics licenses paxalisib to Sovargen for intractable seizures in rare central nervous system diseases
SYDNEY, March 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA), a biotechnology company specialising in oncology, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Sovargen Co., Ltd, a biotechnology company specializing in central nervous system (CNS) diseases, to develop, manufacture and commercialise paxalisib as a potential treatment of intractable epilepsy in focal cortical dysplasia type 2 (FCD T2) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) disease. The underlying cause of FCD T2 and TSC can be traced back to somatic mutations in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway or mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 genes, which lead to the overactivation of the mTOR pathway. Paxalisib is an oral dual inhibitor targeting both PI3K and mTOR within this pathway, and it is distinguished by its ability to penetrate the brain. Although FCD T2 and TSC are rare orphan diseases, they represent a high medical unmet need with significant market opportunity. There are currently no approved drugs for patients with FCD T2.