Suven’s depression drug shows promise in phase 2a trial; stocks trade flat


Suven Life Sciences announced positive topline results from its Phase 2a proof-of-concept study for Ropanicant (SUVN-911), a novel treatment for moderate to severe major depressive disorder (MDD). The open-label study, involving 41 patients across 10 US sites, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in depressive symptoms as measured by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).

The shares of Suven Life Sciences Limited were trading flat at ₹158.01 on the NSE at 12.45 pm.

Patients treated with Ropanicant showed mean MADRS score improvements of 5.9-13.4 points on day 7, and 10.4-12.7 points on day 14 across different doses. The drug was generally well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported.

Suven plans to advance Ropanicant to a double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b study in early 2025. The company will present the topline data at the Neuroscience-2024 conference in Chicago this October.

Ropanicant is being developed to address the limitations of existing MDD treatments, potentially offering rapid onset of action without sexual dysfunction side effects.