Anavex 2-73, which was designated as an orphan dru

Anavex 2-73, which was designated as an orphan drug for Rett syndrome last spring — which grants companies developing rare diseases various development and commercial incentives— may have that potential.

AVXL,The 12-week trial — which will cost about $1 million total and enroll between 50 and 80 patients — will measure the drug’s effect on seizure reduction, cognitive impairment, mood disorder, autistic behavior and anxiety, Christopher Missling, president and chief executive officer of Anavex, told MarketWatch.
"To us that’s very exciting, and we want to move as many of the compounds into clinical trials so we can get treatments on the path to a cure,” he said.

The trial is expected to begin this year, with data possibly coming out by the end of the year, Missling said.

Anavex’s relationship with the foundation will also assist in enrolling patients in the trial, which should help hasten trial results, he said.

Anavex 2-73 is also being tested in other areas, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism and more.