Sage Therapeutics released a press statement on June 11th that focuses on the main results of a study called SURVEYOR, aimed at studying cognition (thinking) in Huntinton’s disease (HD) and testing the safety of a drug called dalzanemdor (previously SAGE-718). Let’s talk about what we know and what’s next!
Amplifying nerve cell messages to improve thinking
Sage Therapeutics works on brain health across a variety of diseases. One of their areas of focus is cognition (thinking) and executive function - the ability to make decisions, plan, and act on new information. This area of research is particularly relevant to the HD field, because cognitive changes have a huge impact for people living with HD.
Sage has been working on an experimental therapy called dalzanemdor. The drug acts on NMDA receptors, which help to transmit chemical messages between nerve cells. There is an imbalance in this messenger system across many diseases, which causes changes in thinking and memory. Dalzanemdor is a type of drug designed to boost the messages passed by NMDA receptors - it’s a bit like giving your brain cells a megaphone.