Sage Therapeutics (SAGE) is surging nearly 40% today after the company reported positive results from a trial of a drug to treat severe postpartum depression. The company said a Phase 2 trial of SAGE-547 met its primary endpoint of a significant reduction in symptoms compared to placebo at 60 hours.
Treatment with SAGE-547 was well tolerated with no serious adverse events or discontinuations reported.
SAGE-547 is a hormone which agonizes, or activates, neurotransmitter receptors called GABA in the brain. Sage believes the specific and differentiated ways in which SAGE-547 targets the GABA receptor explains the drug’s potential benefit against a list of central nervous system diseases, including epilepsy, movement disorders, postpartum depression and anxiety.
There are currently no approved treatments specifically developed for postpartum depression, which affects 10% to 15% of mothers and can have devastating consequences.
SAGE Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing and commercializing medicines to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Its lead product candidate, SAGE-547 is an intravenous formulation of allopregnanolone, a neurosteroid that acts as a synaptic and extrasynaptic modulator of the GABAA receptor. Its product candidates, SAGE-217 and SAGE-689, also targets the GABAA receptor system. The company is focused on developing drugs based on selective allosteric modulation of CNS synaptic and extrasynaptic receptors. Sage’s chemistry platform is focused on chemical scaffolds of endogenous or chemically modified synthetic neuroactive steroid compounds that are allosteric modulators of GABAA or N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid or N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Its SAGE-718 is a product candidate selected for development from its NMDA receptor program.
SAGE has peaked to the top of the major downtrend line on the monthly chart view. In order to break the downtrend, the $49 level must be broken to the upside and Held.
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