Praxis touts epilepsy drug gains despite 23% dropout rate

Praxis Precision Medicines reported a 56.3% median seizure reduction in a midphase epilepsy trial but faced a 23% patient dropout rate, dampening investor enthusiasm.

Why it matters: While Praxis’ drug, vormatrigine, showed strong, early efficacy and broad applicability, the high discontinuation rate and reliance on background therapies raise questions about long-term use and standalone potential.

Backstory: The trial tested vormatrigine in 37 patients with focal onset seizures (the most common type of seizure in adults with epilepsy) already on other anti-seizure drugs. Within one week, over half saw seizure frequency cut by at least 50%. By week eight, 22% experienced seizure freedom. Still, nearly one in four dropped out, often due to insufficient adjustment of other meds.

Big picture: Vormatrigine is a sodium channel modulator designed to reduce excessive neuronal firing — a hallmark of epilepsy — while aiming to avoid side effects like dizziness and drowsiness seen in older drugs. Praxis sees the drug as a versatile therapy that could work solo but investor skepticism remains, with shares dropping nearly 14% after the data release.

What’s next: A follow-up placebo-controlled trial and monotherapy study are planned for 2026.