RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Icagen, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICGN) today announced the initiation of a Phase I study of ICA-105665, a novel small molecule compound for the treatment of epilepsy. ICA-105665 is an activator of certain subtypes of KCNQ ion channels for the potential treatment of a variety of neuroexcitability disorders such as epilepsy and pain. These channels underlie a potassium current called the M-current, which is important in the regulation of the resting potential and electrical firing of certain nerve cells. Mutations in a specific subtype of KCNQ channels have been linked to an inherited seizure disorder, which provides genetic validation for this approach.
