The Handoff: Your Week in Neurology News – 6/15/17

The Handoff is a weekly roundup of neurology news covering various developments in subspecialties, the pharmaceutical industry, and the overall state of health care as it affects neurologists.

— A large genomic study identified 5 genes and a section of the genome linked to insomnia. Genetic correlations between insomnia, anxiety, neuroticism, and depression were also identified. Read the study over at Nature Genetics. 

— Teva reported positive results from its phase 3 study of fremanezumab for chronic migraine, with patients experiencing a significant reduction in monthly migraine days compared with placebo for both monthly and quarterly dosing. 

—  Eli Lilly also reported full data for its drug galcanezumab, which reduced monthly headache days in 2 studies of episodic migraine and 1 study of chronic migraine. 

— As the FDA continues its NDA review, phase 3 data from the EASE LID trial of extended-release amantadine was published in JAMA Neurology, demonstrating a significant reduction in the duration, severity, and impact of levodopa-induced dyskinesia compared with placebo. 

— An unsuccessful cancer treatment may find new purpose as a potential treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 

— New research suggests that functional connectivity MRI may be able to predict which high-risk, 6-month old infants will develop autism spectrum disorder by the age of 2. 

— High-dose simvastatin may help improve frontal lobe function and physical measures of quality of life in patients with secondary progressive MS, but failed to have an effect on other measures including verbal and non-verbal memory. 

— The FDA will take a harder look at opioid drugs with reported abuse-deterrent properties to determine if the measures actually translate into real-world reductions in abuse. 

— Watch the video below to learn more about the latest data from the DAWN trial, which may help to extend the treatment window for stroke.