Asia CNS
CNS drugs: treating the brain, from epilepsy and sleep to schizophrenia and Parkinson's.
8Tracked assets
7Approved
How this track works
Central nervous system drugs have to cross the blood-brain barrier and act on brain circuits that are hard to measure, so development is slow and failure rates are high. Japanese companies have a long record here: several widely used US antipsychotic, epilepsy, insomnia and Parkinson's drugs were discovered in Japan, and South Korea's SK Biopharmaceuticals took its epilepsy drug to US approval on its own. China is now adding new antidepressants and neurology candidates.
Development stage
Approved7 7
Phase 21 1
Origin country / region
Japan6 6
South Korea1 1
China1 1
Assets
| Rank | Asset | INN | Originator | Country | Targets | Mechanism | Highest stage | Indication | Trial IDs | Overseas rights holder | Deal date | Upfront | Total ceiling | Latest event | Latest event date | Sources | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lurasidone (SM-13496; Latuda) | lurasidone | Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. (formerly Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma) | Japan | Dopamine D2; serotonin 5-HT2A / 5-HT7 / 5-HT1A | D2 / 5-HT2A / 5-HT7 antagonist and 5-HT1A partial agonist | Approved — US (2010-10) | Schizophrenia; bipolar depression (Japan approval 2020-03) | NCT00868959 | Angelini (selected European territories); Sumitomo group companies elsewhere | 2017-11-21 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Japan approved Latuda for schizophrenia and bipolar depression | 2020-03-25 | 1 2 3 4 | 2020-03-25 |
| 2 | Perampanel (E2007; Fycompa) | perampanel | Eisai Co., Ltd. | Japan | AMPA-type glutamate receptor | Selective non-competitive AMPA receptor antagonist | Approved — US (2012-10) | Partial-onset seizures (US approval); pediatric epilepsy (selected investigational study) | NCT04015141 | Catalyst Pharmaceuticals (US commercial rights acquisition) | 2022-12-20 | USD 160m | Not disclosed | Pediatric adjunctive epilepsy study registry updated; active, not recruiting | 2026-07-10 | 1 2 3 4 | 2026-07-10 |
| 3 | Brexpiprazole (OPC-34712; Rexulti) | brexpiprazole | Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. | Japan | Dopamine D2; serotonin 5-HT1A / 5-HT2A | D2 / 5-HT1A partial agonism and 5-HT2A antagonism; clinical mechanism not fully established | Approved — US (2015-07) | Schizophrenia; adjunctive MDD treatment; agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer disease (US approval 2023-05) | NCT01838681 | Lundbeck (co-development/co-commercialization in agreed territories) | 2011-11-11 | Not disclosed (asset-specific; USD 200m portfolio upfront) | Not disclosed (asset-specific; up to USD 1.8bn portfolio agreement) | US approval of additional indication for agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer disease announced | 2023-05-11 | 1 2 3 4 5 | 2023-05-11 |
| 4 | Istradefylline (KW-6002; Nourianz / Nouriast) | istradefylline | Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. (formerly Kyowa Hakko Kirin) | Japan | Adenosine A2A receptor | Selective adenosine A2A receptor antagonist | Approved — US (2019-08) | Adjunct to levodopa/carbidopa in adults with Parkinson disease experiencing OFF episodes | NCT02610231 | None reported | — | — | — | Long-term Parkinson disease study registry updated; completed | 2024-04-25 | 1 2 3 | 2024-04-25 |
| 5 | Cenobamate (YKP3089; Xcopri / Ontozry) | cenobamate | SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (with SK Life Science) | South Korea | Voltage-gated sodium channels; GABAA ion channel | Proposed sodium-current inhibition and GABAA positive allosteric modulation; precise therapeutic mechanism unknown | Approved — US (2019-11) | Partial-onset seizures in adults (US approved); pediatric partial-onset seizures (investigational) | NCT05067634 | Angelini Pharma / Arvelle (41 European countries; US via SK Life Science) | 2019 (original licence; takeover announced 2021-01-04) | USD 100m (2019 European licence) | Not disclosed (USD 430m milestone obligations separately reported) | Pediatric Phase 3 registry updated; study completed | 2026-10-16 | 1 2 3 4 | 2026-10-16 |
| 6 | Lemborexant (E2006; Dayvigo) | lemborexant | Eisai Co., Ltd. | Japan | Orexin OX1R and OX2R | Competitive dual orexin receptor antagonist | Approved — US (2019-12) | Adult insomnia characterized by sleep-onset and/or sleep-maintenance difficulty | NCT01463098 | None reported | — | — | — | China approval of Dayvigo for adult insomnia announced | 2025-05-27 | 1 2 3 4 | 2025-05-27 |
| 7 | Toludesvenlafaxine (LY03005; ansofaxine; Ruoxinlin) | toludesvenlafaxine | Luye Pharma Group Ltd. | China | Serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine transporters | Serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (company characterization) | Approved — China (2022-11) | Major depressive disorder (approved); generalized anxiety disorder (China NDA accepted) | NCT04853407 | None reported | — | — | — | China CDE accepted NDA for generalized anxiety disorder indication | 2026-01-08 | 1 2 3 4 5 | 2026-01-08 |
| 8 | Matsupexole (KDT-3594) | matsupexole | Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. | Japan | Dopamine receptors | Oral non-ergot dopamine receptor agonist | Phase 2 — Japan (2021-05) | Parkinson disease; early PD and advanced PD with levodopa (investigational) | jRCT2031210089 | jRCT2051240199 | AffaMed (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and six Southeast Asian countries) | 2020-10-09 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | July 2026 company pipeline lists matsupexole at Phase 2 | 2026-07 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | 2026-07 |