In order to investigate potential anti-panic/anxiolytic effects of new CNS penetrating compounds, CHDR applies the ‘CO2 inhalation challenge’ model in early drug development. Double breath 35% carbon dioxide (CO2) inhalation experimentally induces panic attacks (PA's) in both healthy volunteers and patients with different anxiety disorders. CO2-induced PA's in healthy volunteers are virtually identical to those occurring in patients, making it a reliable translational challenge model for panic.
CHDR has recently applied the CO2 inhalation challenge in a study with JNJ-61393215, a brain-penetrant novel, selective and high affinity/potent orexin-1 receptor (OX1R) antagonist. We demonstrated anxiolytic effects of a selective OX1R antagonist for the first time in humans. Our findings support further exploration of JNJ-61393215's efficacy in relevant patient populations, and demonstrate the advantage of including the CO2 challenge in future early phase studies investigating innovative anxiolytics and/or panicolytics.
You can read more about the study here.
