Tenacia’s Clinical Trial Application for In-licensed RAP-219
On March 9, 2026, Tenacia and Rapport Therapeutics announced an exclusive licensing agreement under which Tenacia obtained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Rapport’s RAP‑219 in Greater China, in a deal worth up to $328 million.
Under the terms of the agreement, Rapport will receive an upfront payment of $20 million, up to $308 million in potential development and commercial milestone payments, and tiered royalties ranging up to the mid‑teens percentage of annual net sales of RAP‑219 in Greater China. Tenacia will be responsible for the development and commercialization of RAP‑219 in Greater China, while Rapport retains rights in the rest of the world.
RAP‑219 is a negative allosteric modulator of AMPA receptors targeting TARPγ8, designed to achieve brain‑region‑specific modulation for antiepileptic therapy through a more precise mechanism of action. TARPγ8 is predominantly expressed in key brain regions closely associated with epileptic seizures, such as the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, and is nearly absent in the cerebellum, which coordinates movement. This tissue specificity is expected to reduce common side effects of traditional AMPA receptor antagonists, such as dizziness and ataxia.
In September 2025, Rapport announced Phase IIa clinical data for RAP‑219 in patients with focal onset seizures (FOS). The results showed that compared with baseline, patients experienced a significant reduction in long‑duration seizures, with a 77.8% median decrease in clinical seizure frequency (p=0.01), and 24% of patients became seizure‑free during the 8‑week treatment period (p<0.0001). RAP‑219 was generally well tolerated, with most adverse events being mild to moderate. Following the data release, Rapport’s share price rose by 157%.
RAP‑219 is currently being developed for focal onset seizures, primary generalized tonic‑clonic seizures, and the manic phase of bipolar disorder. Two global registrational Phase III trials are expected to start in the second quarter of 2026, and Tenacia will lead the China region’s participation in these international multi‑center studies, accelerating the drug’s development in Greater China.Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in China, with a prevalence of approximately 8.4‰, affecting nearly 10 million people. Among patients with focal onset seizures, about one‑third may develop drug‑resistant epilepsy, creating an urgent clinical need for innovative therapies. The in‑licensing of RAP‑219 represents another important step in Tenacia’s strategic expansion in the central nervous system (CNS) field.
