Silva Diego Lopez da, Damasceno Lara Lídia Ventura, Sales Ernandes Félix
2020
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Abstract
Balovaptan, an antagonist of the vasopressin system, has been shown to be a drug with potential to treat the main symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The objective of this work was to gather and analyze information already published about the mechanism of action, clinical trials, dosage information, pharmacokinetics, and safety profile of balovaptan, bringing an update on the current situation of this molecule in ASD. A bibliographic review was conducted through the Embase, PubMed, Science Direct, LILACS, SciELO, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases. Results showed that balovaptan is a potent, selective, and brain-penetrant V1a receptor antagonist that may improve social behaviors and communication. Balovaptan received the Breakthrough Therapy designation from the US Food and Drug Administration. Balovaptan showed a favorable safety profile and good pharmacokinetic parameters in studies using doses that varied from 1.5 to 10 mg orally. Although preliminary results have shown promise, the balovaptan study was terminated because improvement in the core symptoms of ASD was lower than expected. However, further studies with substitute molecules should be encouraged, given the therapeutic potential of vasopressin axis modulation and its implications for social behavior.