Interim data from UCLA and NeuroSigma’s eTNS Phase I trial on PTSD, MDD

Today, at the 52nd annual New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit (NCDEU) Conference in Arizona, Ian Cook, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Senior Medical Advisor to NeuroSigma, Inc., presented the results from the first 6-subject cohort of a 10-subject Phase I open-label clinical trial studying the effects of external trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS™) on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy.  The trial is being conducted at UCLA and is funded by NeuroSigma.  Mean decreases in PTSD measures of 36% and depression measures of over 50% were reported.

The study was conducted over an 8-week period and followed similarly designed eTNS trials conducted at UCLA, in which promising results were generated in treating both major depression and epilepsy.  Subjects had a mean age of 54 with a median of 28 years since traumatic exposure and suffered from both PTSD and MDD.  Current episodes were required to be of at least four months in duration, with non-response to at least one antidepressant.  In this outpatient trial, subjects placed stimulating eTNS electrodes on their foreheads for approximately eight hours each night while asleep, and the severity of PTSD and depression symptoms was measured every two weeks using standard recognized rating scales. 

"These findings are very encouraging," said Dr. Cook.  "The combination of depression and an anxiety disorder, like PTSD, is usually difficult to treat effectively.  The participants in the study told us that eTNS was easy to use at home and led, in some instances, to the best mental health they had experienced in years.  We expect these results, along with results from the remaining subjects in this Phase I trial, to form the basis for an upcoming Phase II clinical trial that will examine efficacy, tolerability, and safety in a larger sample with a double-blind, controlled trial design." 

Lodwrick Cook, Chairman of NeuroSigma, added, "PTSD is a serious global disorder drastically in need of promising new therapies.  As Americans we have an obligation to do our utmost to help the thousands of fellow citizens who are stricken by PTSD as a result of both military and non-military related traumatic events.  We are very pleased by the preliminary results and applaud the efforts of the clinical team at UCLA."

PTSD, commonly associated with the effects of warfare, arises after exposure to a traumatic event; such as train bombings and terrorist attacks as experienced on September 11th, or natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the massive Fukushima earthquake and tsunami in Japan, or personal tragedies affecting those involved in traffic accidents, domestic violence or sexual assault.  It is marked by symptoms in three groups: those of re-experiencing (nightmares, flashbacks), those of avoidance and numbing (isolation from others, avoiding reminders), and increased arousal (being on edge, hyper-alert, subject to explosive responses when startled).  PTSD is often accompanied by depression, and many of the medications used to treat PTSD were first developed as antidepressants.  However, recent studies suggest that having an anxiety disorder, such as PTSD, significantly reduces the likelihood that antidepressants will work, making the treatment of PTSD very challenging.  The August 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that a widely prescribed antipsychotic medication may be no more effective than placebo in treating PTSD.

NeuroSigma, Inc., a Los Angeles-based medical technology company established to in-license and develop early stage technologies with the potential to transform medical practice, is the exclusive worldwide licensee of UCLA's TNS intellectual property, including eTNS for PTSD and depression.  Dr. Ian Cook added, "I'm confident that the transfer of the technology from academia to the next phase of trials will go smoothly and that, with replication, this treatment has the opportunity to be made available to help many of those who suffer with PTSD and major depression.  Given the external, non-invasive nature of this therapy, it might be useful in the battlefield or in an emergency room immediately after a traumatic event, with the theoretical potential to impact the development of full-blown PTSD."