On average, participants taking ecopipam improved their motor and vocal tic severity score from 35 to 24, a decrease of 30%. Those taking placebos improved their severity scores from 35 to 28, a decrease of 19%

Donald Gilbert, MD, MS, Division of Neurology at Cincinnati Children’s, presented data a scientific conference March 30, 2022, that shows a significant reduction in vocal and motor tics experienced by youth with Tourette syndrome who received the medication ecopipam as part of an ongoing clinical trial.

The data was presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 74th Annual Meeting, being held in Seattle.

The presentation was based on data from 149 participants, ages 6-17, half of whom received the drug while the other half received a placebo.

“Our results are exciting, because they suggest ecopipam shows promise as a treatment for reducing the number, frequency and severity of the tics young people experience with Tourette syndrome,” Gilbert says. “That’s especially true because many people with the disease who are taking the medications currently available still have debilitating symptoms or experience weight gain or other side effects.”

The study was supported by Emalex Biosciences, LLC. Gilbert is principal investigator for the trial.

Read more from the AAN.

Read related blog post about Dr. Gilbert’s work

Learn more about Tourette syndrome and tic disorder