Core Viewpoint - Lijun Pharmaceutical has received approval from the National Medical Products Administration for clinical trials of NS-041 tablets for the treatment of depression, expanding its indications beyond epilepsy [1] Group 1: Company Developments - Lijun Pharmaceutical's wholly-owned subsidiary, Lijun Group Lijun Pharmaceutical Factory, has been granted a clinical trial approval notice for NS-041 tablets, specifically for the treatment of depression [1] - NS-041 is a novel high-selectivity KCNQ2/3 agonist aimed at treating neurological and psychiatric disorders, making it the only KCNQ2/3 agonist in China approved for clinical research in both epilepsy and depression [1] - The clinical trial for the epilepsy indication of NS-041 was approved on December 27, 2023, and is currently undergoing Phase II clinical research [1] Group 2: Drug Mechanism and Efficacy - Research indicates that KCNQ2/3 channel activators can modulate the excitability of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area, thereby improving symptoms related to depression [1] - In preclinical studies for the depression indication, NS-041 demonstrated significant antidepressant effects in classical acute and chronic depression models in mice [1] - The selectivity of NS-041 is higher than that of other drugs targeting the same pathway currently under investigation, and no potential ocular toxicity risks have been identified [1]
丽珠医药(01513.HK)：NS-041片新增治疗抑郁症适应症获得药物临床试验批准通知书