BNC210 · program

BNC210 (soclenicant) for Social anxiety disorder

DiscontinuedDiscontinuedNeuphoria Therapeutics, Inc. (NEUP)

Indications for BNC210: Social anxiety disorder · Discontinued Post-traumatic stress disorder · Phase 2

Oral alpha7-nAChR negative allosteric modulator developed for the acute, as-needed treatment of anxiety in social anxiety disorder (SAD). The Phase 3 AFFIRM-1 trial (NCT06510504; n=370; single acute dose of 225 mg BNC210 vs placebo, 1:1) used a public speaking challenge model: subjects were dosed ~1 hour before being introduced to the challenge, given ~2 minutes to prepare (anticipation phase), then delivered a 5-minute speech before a small audience (performance phase). On 20 October 2025 Neuphoria announced AFFIRM-1 MISSED its primary endpoint - change from baseline to the average of the performance-phase Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) score during the public speaking challenge - and that analyses of secondary endpoints did not demonstrate statistically significant differences. BNC210 safety/tolerability remained favorable. Based on these results, Neuphoria DISCONTINUED further development of the SAD program and launched a full strategic review of its operations and portfolio; the company indicated it would separately evaluate next steps for BNC210 in PTSD (where chronic daily dosing had been positive). The SAD program is discontinued.

Development timeline

DiscontinuedOct 2025
  1. missedPhase 3 AFFIRM-1 missed its primary SUDS endpoint in social anxiety disorder; Neuphoria discontinues the SAD program.
Phase 3Aug 2024 – Sept 2025
  1. AFFIRM-1 reaches primary completion (11 Sep 2025); 370 participants enrolled (actual). Trial record marked Completed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
  2. Phase 3 AFFIRM-1 (NCT06510504) in social anxiety disorder begins (study start 6 Aug 2024). Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single acute as-needed dose of 225 mg BNC210 vs placebo evaluated in a public speaking challenge model; primary endpoint = change from baseline in average performance-phase SUDS. Lead sponsor Bionomics Limited (Neuphoria Therapeutics).

Readouts

  • 2025-10-20ReportedTopline datamissedNCT06510504

    Phase 3 AFFIRM-1 missed its primary SUDS endpoint in social anxiety disorder; Neuphoria discontinues the SAD program.

Clinical trials in Social anxiety disorder

NCT06510504AFFIRM-1Phase 3Completedn=370

A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, 2-arm, Parallel-group, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of BNC210 for the Acute, As-needed Treatment of Anxiety in Adults With Social Anxiety Disorder (AFFIRM-1)

Started Aug 2024· Primary completion Sept 2025· 📍 21 sites across 1 country (United States)

missedprimaryChange from baseline in average performance-phase SUDS (Subjective Units of Distress Scale) during the public speaking challenge

AFFIRM-1 did not meet its primary endpoint: a single acute as-needed 225 mg dose of BNC210 did not significantly reduce the average performance-phase SUDS score during the public speaking challenge versus placebo. Topline announcement; quantitative effect size and p-value not disclosed in the company PR.

pendingsafetySafety / tolerability

The safety and tolerability profile of BNC210 continued to be favorable and was consistent with previously reported studies. No detailed adverse-event tabulation disclosed in the topline PR; outcome marked pending as full safety data have not been published.

missedsecondarySecondary efficacy endpoints (social anxiety / distress measures)

Analyses of secondary endpoints did not demonstrate statistically significant differences between BNC210 and placebo.

Formulations

FormulationRouteRegimenPharmacokinetics
BNC210 oral tablet (as-needed, SAD)spray-dried dispersion solid dose tablet
225 mg or 675 mg single as-needed dose (PREVAIL Phase 2, acute)
OralSingle doseTmax 2 h

Mechanism of action (compound-wide)

Selective negative allosteric modulator (NAM) of the alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (alpha7 nAChR; CHRNA7), partially inhibiting alpha7 channel activation while sparing alpha4beta2 nAChR signalling. By dampening alpha7-mediated cholinergic tone in fear/stress circuitry it produces anxiolytic and PTSD-symptom-reducing effects without sedation or dependence. No quantitative binding/inhibitory constant for the NAM action is published in IUPHAR/GtoPdb or ChEMBL.

TargetActionAffinity
alpha7 nAChRprimaryCHRNA7NAM

← Full BNC210 compound page (identity, identifiers, all indications)

Sources

  1. A phase 2, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BNC210 for acute, as-needed treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD) - The PREVAIL study — PubMed (Psychiatry Research)
  2. AFFIRM-1: Phase 3 study of BNC210 for acute as-needed treatment of anxiety in social anxiety disorder (NCT06510504) — ClinicalTrials.gov
  3. Neuphoria Therapeutics Provides Update on AFFIRM-1 Phase 3 Trial Evaluating BNC210 for the Acute Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder — Neuphoria Therapeutics, Inc. (GlobeNewswire)
  4. Soclenicant / BNC210 (ligand 14250) - alpha7 nicotinic ACh receptor negative allosteric modulator — IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology