Arbaclofen

Recent articles

Illustration of a sheet of red and white pills, with the red pills arranged in the form of a question mark.

Going on Trial: Gene therapy for Rett; return to arbaclofen

This month’s newsletter looks at the early safety data from the first gene therapy trial for Rett syndrome, among other drug development news.

By Calli McMurray
29 June 2023 | 6 min read

Multi-lab study hints at benefits of long-tested autism drug

The results lend support for clinical trials of arbaclofen in people with an autism-linked condition, the researchers say.

By Angie Voyles Askham
8 June 2023 | 5 min read
Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele looks directly into the camera with a calm expression in a close up shot.

Swings and misses with Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele

A careful clinician who prizes evidence, Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele is happy to embrace trial failures, as long as he learns from them.

By Peter Hess
30 May 2023 | 13 min read
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: Arbaclofen results; another oxytocin edition

New data from clinical trials of arbaclofen and oxytocin underscore the murkiness of null results. Plus, researchers seek clarity on the neurodevelopmental effects of oxytocin during childbirth.

By Laura Dattaro
17 May 2023 | 4 min read
Photograph of white pills and blister pack on blue pastel colored background.

Trials of arbaclofen for autism yield mixed results

Autistic children taking the drug showed improvements in some behaviors but not in their social skills.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
5 May 2023 | 5 min read
A hand reaches from above to add a pill to a stack that is resting against the x-axis of a graph.

Going on Trial: Arbaclofen reboot; cell implants; psilocybin microdoses

Going on Trial rounds up new developments in autism-related drug trials. This month we’re revisiting decade-old data from a trial of arbaclofen for fragile X syndrome and looking into a new implant-based approach to quelling seizures, among other treatment strategies.

By Peter Hess
25 January 2023 | 6 min read
Visual stimulus of 4 circles with black and white stripes.

Visual task flags autistic people who respond to GABA agonists

The investigational drug arbaclofen makes autistic people's brains respond to a visual task more like non-autistic people's brains do.

By Peter Hess
5 January 2022 | 3 min read

Autism-related conditions linked to altered visual perception

A test of binocular rivalry may distinguish between autism subtypes and help researchers screen the efficacy of certain drugs.

By Angie Voyles Askham
5 May 2021 | 3 min read

Brain’s prefrontal cortex conducts symphony of social players

A brain region that orchestrates responses to social cues and aids decision-making may be off tempo in autism.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
20 February 2019 | 1 min watch

Study calls into question chemical messenger’s role in autism

New results from brain scans of adults with autism are at odds with the popular theory that the condition involves weak brakes on brain activity.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
29 October 2018 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of cell-surface protein LPHN2.

‘Push-pull’ recipe for neural wiring used in multiple brain regions

A versatile pair of proteins steers neurons toward their targets and helps establish the brain’s sensory maps, new studies suggest.

By Holly Barker
5 June 2026 | 5 min read
Research image showing dopamine level spikes.

Reward-learning algorithm hardwired into dopamine circuit

The finding bolsters the canonical model of reward prediction error, which has come under scrutiny in recent years.

By Natalia Mesa
5 June 2026 | 5 min read
Burke Neurological Institute.

Exclusive: Brain and spinal cord institute halts research, citing funding problems

The Burke Neurological Institute, which calls itself “the only research institute in the U.S. dedicated to finding treatments to repair the brain and spinal cord,” ceased research operations on 22 May.

By Lauren Schenkman
4 June 2026 | 5 min read