Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc, headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif, recently announced the approval of a new treatment for pseudobulbar affect (PBA), which occurs secondary to neurologic conditions such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The treatment, NUEDEXTA was reportedly approved by the European Commission in the European Union for the treatment of PBA, regardless of underlying neurologic disease or injury.
The treatment is engineered to act on sigma-1 and NMDA receptors in the brain, however a recent news release notes that the mechanism by which NUEDEXTA exerts therapeutic effects in PBA patients is unknown.
The release reports that PBA is a neurologic condition characterized by outbursts of uncontrollable crying or laughing that are often contrary or exaggerated to the patient’s inner mood state.
Joao Siffert, MD, chief scientific officer, Avanir, characterizes the treatment’s approval by the European Commission as a major breakthrough for individuals with PBA, who until now had no EMA approved medications to treat the disorder.
“NEUDEXTA addresses a genuine unmet patient need and demonstrates Avanir’s commitment to bringing innovative treatments to people in Europe and throughout the world,” Siffert adds.
The release notes that studies designed to support the effectiveness of NUEDEXTA were performed in ALS and MS patients. It has not been evaluated in other types of emotional lability that can commonly occur, such as in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
For more information about NUEDEXTA, click here
Source: Avanir Pharmaceuticals
