Epalex
Epalex Corp is a privately held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing EP102, an oral migraine therapy, and EP103, an oral non-benzodiazepine epilepsy therapy, both enabled by a proprietary oral drug delivery platform that improves bioavailability of drugs previously requiring IV administration.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Epalex does
Epalex Corp is a privately held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company is developing two oral small-molecule drug candidates targeting large unmet needs in neurology: EP102 for the acute treatment of migraine, and EP103 for drug-refractory epilepsy. Both candidates are formulated using Epalex's proprietary, patent-pending oral drug delivery technology, which is designed to substantially increase peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC) relative to standard tablet formulations, enabling oral administration of active pharmaceutical ingredients that were previously only deliverable via intravenous infusion. EP102's mechanism modulates GABAergic inhibition at GABAA receptors and may inhibit cortical spreading depression, positioning it as differentiated from NSAIDs, triptans, ergots, and CGRP antagonists. EP103 is a broad-spectrum antiseizure agent with a non-benzodiazepine mechanism, demonstrated in preclinical PTZ-induced seizure models to delay seizure onset up to four-fold versus control (p<0.001).
Epalex has completed a Phase 1a single-ascending-dose study in 99 healthy adults for EP102, establishing a well-characterized pharmacokinetic and safety/tolerability profile, and a proof-of-concept study is currently underway. EP103 remains pre-IND with preclinical efficacy data only. The company is pre-revenue with no commercial products, no pricing, and no distribution channels; future revenue is contingent on FDA approval and either direct commercialization or out-licensing of EP102 and EP103. Capital to date has been raised exclusively through SEC Form D exempt securities offerings totaling roughly $30.8M across 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024, and 2025, with no disclosed institutional lead investors or strategic pharma partner. The leadership team is concentrated in CNS drug development, with senior executives drawn from Bayer, Teva, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Abbott, Eagle Pharmaceuticals, and URL Pharma, supported by academic founders from NINDS and UC Davis.
The business model is a traditional clinical-development-and-exit pathway: advance EP102 and EP103 through Phase 2/3 trials, then either commercialize (likely specialty neurology sales force into migraine and refractory epilepsy channels) or partner/out-license to a larger pharmaceutical company. The target patient populations are substantial — approximately 38 million U.S. adults with migraine (fewer than half adequately controlled by current therapies) and 3 million U.S. adults plus 470,000 children with active epilepsy (only ~50% achieving adequate seizure control on existing medications, with 20-30% drug-refractory) — but Epalex has not yet entered human pivotal trials and remains several years and several hundred million dollars of capital away from any product launch.
Epalex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Epalex
- Legal name
- Epalex Corp
- Website
- https://epalex.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Epalex Corp is a privately held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing EP102, an oral migraine therapy, and EP103, an oral non-benzodiazepine epilepsy therapy, both enabled by a proprietary oral drug delivery platform that improves bioavailability of drugs previously requiring IV administration.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Epalex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Neurology Pharmaceuticals
- NAICS
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Controlled Substance ePrescribing (EPCS), Diversion Monitoring & Compliance (HLACAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Epalex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Epalex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Pharmaceutical Product Sales: Pre-revenue clinical-stage company. Revenue will be generated through sales of EP102 (migraine) and EP103 (epilepsy) upon successful FDA approval and commercialization.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Epalex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Epalex is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing two core drug candidates: EP102, an oral therapy for acute migraine treatment, and EP103, an oral broad-spectrum antiseizure agent for drug-refractory epilepsy. Both candidates leverage the company's proprietary, patent-pending oral delivery technology that substantially increases bioavailability compared to standard tablet formulations, enabling oral administration of drug substances previously only available intravenously.
Product overview
Epalex is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of breakthrough therapies for migraine and epilepsy. The company's product pipeline centers on two core drug candidates: EP102 for acute migraine treatment and EP103 for drug-refractory epilepsy. Both products leverage Epalex's proprietary, patent-pending oral delivery technology that improves bioavailability by substantially increasing Cmax and AUC compared to standard tablets. This delivery technology enables oral administration of drugs previously only available intravenously in emergency or inpatient settings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- EP102
Quantifiable outcome
- EP103 displayed a dose-related delay (up to four-fold) in seizure onset in PTZ-induced seizure model in rats, statistically significant (p<0.001, 2-tailed)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Epalex
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Epalex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Epalex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Epalex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marinus Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage CNS pharmaceutical company focused on epilepsy and seizure disorders, including drug-resistant forms. Co-founded by Epalex co-founder Randall Murphy, making it a particularly direct comparable in indication, stage, and therapeutic approach.
- SK Life Science: Specialty pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing treatments for epilepsy and central nervous system disorders, including the marketed antiseizure Xcopri. Directly comparable to Epalex's EP103 as a CNS-focused epilepsy developer with late-stage clinical assets.
- Axsome Therapeutics: Clinical-stage CNS biopharmaceutical company developing therapies for migraine and other neurological conditions. Comparable to Epalex as a similarly-sized, CNS-focused developer pursuing differentiated mechanisms in migraine and related indications.
Broad incumbents
- UCB: Global biopharmaceutical company with a major neurology franchise including marketed antiseizure drugs (Keppra, Briviact, Vimpat). Comparable to Epalex in target indication (epilepsy) but as a large, diversified incumbent with established commercial infrastructure.
- Lundbeck: Global pharmaceutical company with a focused CNS and migraine franchise including Vyepti (anti-CGRP) and several migraine therapies. Comparable to Epalex in target indications (migraine and CNS) but as a large established incumbent.
- Pfizer: Global pharmaceutical company with a major migraine franchise acquired via Biohaven Pharmaceuticals (Nurtec ODT, Zavzpret). Comparable to Epalex as a key migraine competitor but with vastly larger commercial resources and an established CGRP portfolio.
Emerging players
- Longboard Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on neurological and CNS disorders, including rare epilepsies. Comparable to Epalex as a similarly-staged, smaller CNS developer targeting seizure disorders with differentiated mechanisms.
- Engrail Therapeutics: Clinical-stage neuroscience company developing therapies for epilepsy, depression, and other CNS conditions. Comparable to Epalex in stage, indication overlap (epilepsy), and approach of pursuing differentiated CNS mechanisms.
- Eliem Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on central nervous system disorders including epilepsy and depression. Comparable to Epalex as a small-cap CNS developer pursuing differentiated mechanisms in neurology indications.
- Neumora Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing precision medicines for CNS disorders including depression and other neurological conditions. Comparable to Epalex as a well-funded CNS developer with multiple clinical-stage neurology programs.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Epalex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Epalex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Epalex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Epalex M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Epalex
What does Epalex do?
Epalex is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing two core drug candidates: EP102, an oral therapy for acute migraine treatment, and EP103, an oral broad-spectrum antiseizure agent for drug-refractory epilepsy. Both candidates leverage the company's proprietary, patent-pending oral delivery technology that substantially increases bioavailability compared to standard tablet formulations, enabling oral administration of drug substances previously only available intravenously.
Is Epalex a public or private company?
Epalex is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Epalex founded?
Epalex was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Epalex based?
Epalex is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Epalex make money?
One revenue line is on record: pharmaceutical Product Sales.
Who are Epalex's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marinus Pharmaceuticals, SK Life Science and Axsome Therapeutics. Broad incumbents are UCB, Lundbeck and Pfizer. Emerging players are Longboard Pharmaceuticals, Engrail Therapeutics, Eliem Therapeutics and Neumora Therapeutics.
Does Epalex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Epalex.
What industry is Epalex in?
Epalex's product category is Neurology Pharmaceuticals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLACAKAJ, Controlled Substance ePrescribing (EPCS), Diversion Monitoring & Compliance. Its NAICS code is 3254 and its SIC code is 2836.