The Week of

Sensorium Therapeutics reported positive Phase 1a results for SNTX-2643, an experimental treatment being developed for social and generalized anxiety disorders.

In 63 healthy adults, the drug was generally well tolerated, with no serious adverse events or discontinuations due to side effects. More interestingly, a single 3 mg dose produced measurable changes in brain activity within about two hours and reduced the brain's response to an experimentally induced psychological stressor. Those effects were still evident 24 hours later, even though drug concentrations in the blood had fallen substantially.

Sensorium plans to evaluate higher doses and determine whether these early signals translate into meaningful benefits for patients. Here’s more: https://substack.com/home/post/p-216966500.

Biopharmaceutical firm Alkermes reported encouraging early results for ALKS 7290, an experimental ADHD drug that activates the orexin 2 receptor rather than working like a traditional stimulant.

In a Phase 1b study of 50 adults, two doses reduced scores on a standard ADHD symptom scale by an average of 14 and 19 points after two weeks. The study was small and wasn't designed to prove efficacy, but the results were strong enough to support a Phase 2 trial, with data expected in 2027. Check it out: https://substack.com/home/post/p-216766924

Johnson & Johnson reported positive Phase 3 results for Caplyta, an antipsychotic medication used to treat several psychiatric disorders, in adults experiencing manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder. After three weeks, Caplyta produced a 4.8-point greater reduction in mania scores than placebo, with improvement appearing as early as Day 3. Nearly 46% of patients achieved at least a 50% reduction in symptoms, versus 21% on placebo. A second Phase 3 trial has been completed, with results still being analyzed. Here’s more: https://substack.com/home/post/p-216769938.

Did you know your brain may actually be two separate organs packaged together?

Stanford Medicine researchers found that the forebrain and midbrain develop from a completely different group of progenitor cells than the hindbrain, which controls vital functions including breathing, heartbeat, and swallowing. The two systems appear to have evolved independently before eventually being pushed together over hundreds of millions of years.

The discovery also allowed researchers to grow functional human hindbrain neurons in the lab for the first time, potentially providing a new way to study diseases such as ALS and spinal muscular atrophy. Check it out: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2026/09/two-separate-brains.html.