Alkermes reports early ADHD success for orexin agonist, signaling potential blockbuster
Alkermes has presented Phase 1b data for ALKS 7290, an orexin agonist, showing significant symptom reduction in adults with ADHD. The drug, which mimics the brain protein orexin, demonstrated efficacy in a small trial, with patients showing improved scores on standard rating scales. The company is rapidly advancing the drug into Phase 2 trials and views it as a potential 'company changer' alongside its existing narcolepsy pipeline. While early results are promising, the trial was not designed for statistical efficacy testing, and the drug is currently considered overvalued by some financial metrics despite positive analyst ratings.