ADHD is a neurobehavioral disorder affecting an estimated 7.8% of U.S. children between the ages of 4 and 17, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), or approximately 4.5 million children. The principal characteristics of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, symptoms that are known to persist into adulthood.   According to the CDC, approximately 4% of the US adult population has ADHD, which can negatively impair many aspects of daily life, including home, school, work and interpersonal relationships.

Currently available treatments for ADHD include amphetamine-type stimulants and non-stimulant agents targeting monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems in the brain. However, these neurotransmitter systems are not restricted to the brain and are widely found throughout the body. Thus, while these agents can be effective in ameliorating ADHD symptoms, they also can produce adverse cardiovascular effects, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure. Existing treatments also affect eating habits and can slow down weight gain and growth in children and have been associated with suicidal ideation in adolescents and adults. In addition, approved stimulant treatments are DEA (US Drug Enforcement Agency) classified as controlled substances and present logistical issues for distribution and protection from diversion. Approved non-stimulant treatments, such as atomoxetine (Strattera and its generic equivalents), can take four to eight weeks to become effective and undesirable side effects also have been observed.

Various investigators have generated data supporting the concept that alterations in AMPA receptor function might underlie the production of some of the symptoms of ADHD. In rodent and primate models of cognition, ampakines have been demonstrated to reduce inattention and impulsivity, two of the cardinal symptoms of ADHD. Furthermore, ampakines do not stimulate spontaneous locomotor activity in either mice or rats, unlike the stimulants presently used for the treatment of ADHD, nor do they increase the stimulation produced by amphetamine or cocaine. These preclinical considerations prompted us to conduct a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, two period crossover study to assess the efficacy and safety of CX717 in adults with ADHD.

In a repeated measures analysis, a statistically significant treatment effect on ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS), the primary outcome measure, was observed after a three-week administration of CX717 given at 800 mg BID (twice per day). Differences between this dose of CX717 and placebo were seen as early as week one of treatment and continued throughout the remainder of the study. The low dose of CX717, 200 mg BID, did not differ from placebo. In general, results from both the ADHD-RS hyperactivity and inattentiveness subscales, which were secondary efficacy variables, paralleled the results of the total score. CX717 was considered safe and well tolerated.

Based on these clinical results, ampakines such as CX717 and CX1739 might represent a breakthrough opportunity to develop a non- stimulating therapeutic for ADHD with the rapidity of onset normally seen with stimulants.