Advancing the science of on-demand neuropsychiatric care
VTX-01 is currently in development and under investigation as a possible treatment for acute panic attacks.
The problem
There is currently no FDA approved option for the panic attack itself.
Panic is an acute, time-limited neurophysiologic event.
No therapy is currently FDA-approved for the acute treatment of a panic attack.
The main treatment options are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and benzodiazepines. The approved drug therapies are indicated for panic disorder, the condition, not for treating a panic attack itself. Approved pharmacotherapies for panic disorder target long-term management. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) generally require weeks to reach therapeutic effect, and benzodiazepine labeling carries an FDA boxed warning addressing the risks of abuse, misuse, addiction, physical dependence, and withdrawal.
The product
VTX-01
VTX-01 combines a fixed-dose formulation with the VTX-01 device platform, a proprietary, single-use, patient-activated delivery system.
Clinical precedent
Nitrous oxide has a long history of clinical use in procedural medicine, dentistry, pediatrics, and obstetrics, recognized for rapid anxiolytic and analgesic effects.Buhre W, et al. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 2019;122(5):587-604.