FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation to ALKS' Narcolepsy Drug

Core Insights - Alkermes (ALKS) has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for alixorexton, an oral orexin 2 receptor agonist, aimed at treating narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) [1][7] - The Breakthrough Therapy designation is designed to expedite the development and review of therapies for serious diseases with unmet medical needs [1] Company Developments - Alixorexton's Breakthrough Therapy designation is based on positive data from the phase I and phase II Vibrance-1 study, which showed significant improvements in wakefulness compared to placebo [3] - The Vibrance-1 study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating dose-dependent improvements in wakefulness as measured by the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test [3][4] - Treatment with alixorexton also significantly reduced excessive daytime sleepiness at week six, as measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale [4] - Alkermes plans to initiate a global phase III program for alixorexton in Q1 2026 [7][10] Market Context - Over the past year, Alkermes' shares have increased by 1.3%, while the industry has seen a rise of 14.2% [2] - Alixorexton is also being studied for narcolepsy type 2 (NT2) and idiopathic hypersomnia (IH), with positive data from the phase II Vibrance-2 study for NT2 announced in November 2025 [8][10] - The Vibrance-2 study showed statistically significant improvements in wakefulness and reductions in excessive daytime sleepiness for NT2 patients [8]