Our Story
Our company was launched by innovative leaders who are deeply connected to the rare epilepsy community and committed to bringing hope to the millions of people looking for safe, effective epilepsy treatment.
The First Zebrafish Model in Epilepsy
Our co-founder Scott Baraban, Ph.D., began his work on zebrafish epilepsy models at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 2001. Compared to animal models, which are largely limited to rodents that are difficult to breed in large numbers and strongly influenced by background strain genetics, Baraban focused on a zebrafish model that allowed genetic manipulation and rapid, large-scale in vivo drug screening.
Zebrafish Platform Advancements & Drug Discovery
The Baraban laboratory discovered the first-ever zebrafish model representing Dravet Syndrome in 2013 and continued to build sequential ground-breaking discoveries that unlocked the potential for the zebrafish model to become a high-throughput, phenotype-based platform suitable for drug screening and discovery. Baraban, along with co-founder Hahn-Jun Lee, M.Sc. and other partners joined forces in 2016 to launch Epygenix Therapeutics, a company devoted to developing epilepsy drug candidates for the people who need them most.
The First Zebrafish Model in Epilepsy
To date, the Epygenix team accomplished preclinical development, IND-enabling studies, and attained Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease Designations with the EPX series of drug candidates, which are now in clinical trials for multiple rare and intractable genetic epilepsies.
Our Work and Inspiration
Founded by innovative leaders with decades of experience, Epygenix is committed to rapidly advancing the EPX series of drug candidates in the clinic for effective seizure control and improved quality of life. Our leadership team has deep connections to the rare epilepsy community and has witnessed first-hand the turbulent journey those with epilepsy oftentimes experience on a daily basis. Driven by science and inspired by the rare epilepsy community, our team continues their dedication bring EPX drugs to patients and work towards a better tomorrow for people with rare genetic epilepsies and their loved ones.
Ciara, Rare Genetic Epilepsy Patient
(2005 – 2017)