can result in significant disruption in daily functioning.
About Prader-Willi Syndrome
PWS is an orphan/rare, genetic neurological disorder with many of the symptoms resulting from hypothalamic dysfunction. The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls both sleep-wake state stability and signals that mediate the balance between hunger and satiety, resulting in two of the main symptoms in patients with PWS; EDS and hyperphagia (an intense persistent sensation of hunger accompanied by food preoccupations, an extreme drive to consume food, food-related behavior problems, and a lack of normal satiety). Other features include low muscle tone, short stature, behavioral problems, and cognitive impairment. Approximately 15,000 to 20,000 people in the U.S. live with PWS, and over half of them experience EDS and the majority of them have behavioral disturbances.
About Zygel™
Zygel is the first and only pharmaceutically manufactured, synthetic cannabidiol, non-euphoric cannabinoid, formulated as a patent-protected permeation-enhanced gel for transdermal delivery through the skin and into the circulatory system. Zygel is manufactured through a synthetic process in a cGMP facility and is not extracted from the cannabis plant. Therefore, it is devoid of THC, which is what causes the euphoric effect of cannabis, and has the potential to be a nonscheduled product if approved.
Cannabidiol, the active ingredient in Zygel, has been granted orphan drug designation by the FDA and the EMA for the treatment of FXS and for the treatment of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q). Additionally, Zygel has received FDA Fast Track designation for the treatment of behavioral symptoms in patients with FXS.
About Fragile X Syndrome
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a rare genetic disorder that is the leading known cause of both inherited intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, affecting 1 in 3,600 to 4,000 males and 1 in 4,000 to 6,000 females. The disorder negatively affects synaptic function, plasticity and neuronal connections, and results in a spectrum of intellectual disabilities and behavioral symptoms, such as social avoidance and irritability. There are approximately 80,000 people in the U.S. and approximately 121,000 people in the European Union and UK living with FXS. There is a significant unmet medical need in patients living with FXS as there are currently no FDA approved treatments for this disorder.
FXS is caused by a mutation in FMR1, a gene which modulates a number of systems, including the endocannabinoid system, and most critically, codes for a protein called FMRP. The FMR1 mutation manifests as multiple repeats of a DNA segment, known as the CGG triplet repeat, resulting in deficiency or lack of FMRP. FMRP helps regulate the production of other proteins and plays a role in the development of synapses, which are critical for relaying nerve impulses, and in regulating synaptic plasticity. In people with
