Vall d’Hebron includes the first patient as part of phase IIb of the EVOLUTION project, by the company Oryzon Genomics. The research studies the effects of the drug Vafidemstat on patients suffering from schizophrenia in order to improve their quality of life.  

EVOLUTION (EudraCT No.: 2021-000350-26) is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentric randomised phase IIb trial lasting 24 weeks, to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the drug Vafidemstat on adult patients suffering from schizophrenia who are undergoing stable antipsychotic therapy. The main objectives of the trial are to evaluate the effect of Vafidemstat on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and to evaluate the improvement in the cognitive deterioration associated with the illness. The treatment and monitoring will be carried out over six months. In addition to Vall d’Hebron, there are other Spanish centres participating in the study and it is expected that it will involve around 100 patients.

Dr Michael Ropacki, medical director of SNC at Oryzon stated: “We are excited about the inclusion of the first patients in the EVOLUTION study. Taking into account the important profile of the side effects of atypical antipsychotics used to treat schizophrenia, vafidemstat has enormous potential to be a treatment option that is safe, efficient and able to better tolerate the cognitive dysfunction and negative symptoms of the illness”.

About Vafidemstat

Vafidemstat (ORY-2001) is an orally administered LSD1 inhibitor optimised for active SNC administered orally. The molecule acts on different levels, reducing cognitive deterioration, memory loss and neural inflammation, and also has a neuroprotector effect.