XPC-1418

XPC-1418 is a selective, brain-penetrant, small-molecule positive allosteric modulator (potentiator) of the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.1 (SCN1A). Developed by Xenon Pharmaceuticals, it is designed to address both seizure and non-seizure symptoms (such as motor and cognitive deficits) associated with Dravet syndrome. By selectively enhancing NaV1.1 channel activity, XPC-1418 destabilizes the inactivated state of the channel, thereby increasing the excitability of fast-spiking cortical parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons and restoring the balance between excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs in the brain. In preclinical mouse models of Dravet syndrome, oral administration of XPC-1418 has been shown to suppress electrically induced seizures and normalize motor performance deficits.