September 25, 2009 (FinancialWire) — Icagen, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICGN) announced the initiation of a proof-of-concept study of ICA-105665 in patients with photosensitive epilepsy. ICA-105665 is a novel, orally available opener of subtypes of KCNQ channels, which have been validated by both genetic and physiologic evidence as playing an important role in certain conditions characterized by abnormal neuroexcitability, such as seizures, and potentially also chronic pain disorders.

The photosensitive epilepsy study was designed with international experts including members of the Epilepsy Study Consortium and will be conducted at up to four clinical research centers in the United States with specialized expertise in the conduct of this study. Eligible subjects are those patients with demonstrated epileptiform activity by electroencephalogram  in response to photic stimulation (also called a “photoparoxysmal response to light) and represent a small subset of all patients with epilepsy.

Successive cohorts consisting of four patients each will be studied at each dose level, beginning at 100mg. In accordance with a standardized protocol, patients receive single doses of placebo or ICA-105665 on successive days followed by photic stimulation with EEG monitoring. The study measures the ability of ICA-105665 to reduce the photic-induced epileptiform EEG responses, with the response observed in each cohort used to determine the subsequent dose for the next cohort. The study is expected to be completed by mid-2010.

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