OncoSignal
Live from Open Targets Platform, fetched 2026-11-12 01:57 UTC. Every row links to its source record.

ALDH5A1 aldehyde dehydrogenase 5 family member A1

ENSG00000112294 · protein coding · Open Targets profile

Catalyzes one step in the degradation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). .

3 of the 3 drugs recorded against ALDH5A1 are approved

Each band is a group of drugs. It runs from the kind of drug on the left to the furthest stage that drug has reached in any disease on the right. Thicker bands mean more drugs.

3 small molecule drugs at Approved: VALPROIC ACID, DIVALPROEX SODIUM, VALPROATE SODIUMSmall molecule 3Approved 3

Approved bands are highlighted. Withdrawn means the drug was pulled from the market or from development. A combined phase counts as the later one (Phase 1/2 is shown as Phase 2). Hover a band for the drug names. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.

In 2 of 15 cancers, the evidence for ALDH5A1 comes mainly from mutations found in tumours

Each row is a cancer, strongest overall evidence first. The two dots show how strong the inherited (germline) and tumour-mutation (somatic) evidence is; the line between them is the gap.

Inherited (germline) variantsMutations in tumours (somatic)
00.250.50.751glioblastomaglioblastomacervical cancercervical cancerdiffuse intrinsic pontine gliomadiffuse intrinsic pontine gliomaanaplastic astrocytomaanaplastic astrocytomagliomatosis cerebrigliomatosis cerebridiffuse midline gliomadiffuse midline gliomaependymomaependymomaprostate cancerprostate cancerprostate cancer: somatic 0.18myelodysplastic syndromemyelodysplastic syndromeacute myeloid leukemiaacute myeloid leukemiaFamilial prostate cancerFamilial prostate cancerFamilial prostate cancer: somatic 0.18B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemiaB-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemiacolorectal cancercolorectal cancerthyroid cancerthyroid cancermalignant gliomamalignant glioma

Scores run from 0 (no evidence) to 1 (strongest). A missing dot at 0 means Open Targets holds no evidence of that kind. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.

Tractability

Small molecule
Approved Drug, Structure with Ligand, High-Quality Pocket, Druggable Family
PROTAC
Database Ubiquitination, Half-life Data, Small Molecule Binder

gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.6037399768829346 (upper bound 0.8072699904441833). Low values mean loss of function is poorly tolerated, a safety flag for inhibition.

Who runs trials of these drugs

Principal investigators and study chairs on 68 registry trials, updated in the last three years, of the most advanced drugs against ALDH5A1 (valproic acid, divalproex, valproate), ranked by Phase 2+ trials. Live from ClinicalTrials.gov.

21 of 63 trials of drugs against ALDH5A1 have sites only in Europe

Registry trials of valproic acid, divalproex, valproate updated in the last three years, counted by the country group of their listed sites. A trial with sites in several groups counts in each; 52 of 63 have all sites in one country.

Sites only in this groupSites here and elsewhere
United StatesUnited States: 18 trials with sites only hereUnited States: 4 trials with sites here and elsewhere22ChinaChina: 5 trials with sites only hereChina: 2 trials with sites here and elsewhere7EuropeEurope: 21 trials with sites only hereEurope: 2 trials with sites here and elsewhere23JapanJapan: 0 trials with sites only hereJapan: 2 trials with sites here and elsewhere2OtherOther: 15 trials with sites only hereOther: 4 trials with sites here and elsewhere19

Site counts are not patients per country, and trials registered only outside ClinicalTrials.gov are not covered. Where sites are is a fact about the record, not a judgement of its quality. Europe is the EU and EEA, the UK and Switzerland. 5 trials list no sites and are left out. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, fetched live.

68 trials of drugs against ALDH5A1 were stopped early; 11 give no reason

Terminated, withdrawn and suspended interventional trials of valproic acid, divalproex, valproate, newest update first, live from ClinicalTrials.gov. Each reason is quoted exactly as the registry gives it; we do not sort reasons into safety, efficacy or business. Dates are the last registry update. Showing the 25 most recent of 68.

  • terminated · 2026-11-05 · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Valproic Acid
    “< 75 % participation”
  • terminated · 2026-11-05 · Dr. Inge Winter · Valproate acid
    “The site in Israel stopped recruitment due to logistic reasons. Other sites are recruiting for 2023-506602-39-00, 2023-506605-19-00, 2023-506617-21-00.”
  • suspended · 2026-10-21 · Virginia Commonwealth University · Divalproex Sodium
    “Pending amendment approval”
  • terminated · 2026-08-18 · CAMC Health System · Valproate
    “PI left site without transferring study to another PI. Study expired and was not renewed.”
  • terminated · 2026-08-17 · University of Leicester · Sodium Valproate
    “Phase 1 completed recruitment and follow-up. Due to necessary suspensions for the COVID-19 pandemic, there was insufficient time remaining to complete Phase 2.”
  • terminated · 2025-11-14 · University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · Valproate Sodium
    “Low recruitment”
  • withdrawn · 2025-05-29 · National Institute of Cancerología · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “Due to a lack of sufficient resources, the opening was not carried out.”
  • terminated · 2024-03-13 · Cerebral Therapeutics LLC · Valproic Acid delivered to ICV
    “Company Decision”
  • withdrawn · 2023-03-31 · University of Miami · Valproate
    “coronavirus omicron variant infection typically not associated with delirium and agitation severely hampered recruitment.”
  • withdrawn · 2022-06-27 · Assistance Publique Hopitaux De Marseille · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “concomitant decision of the sponsor and the PI, lack of patients”
  • withdrawn · 2022-05-18 · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Sodium Valproate
    “Did not get approval from the collaborating partners in-country”
  • withdrawn · 2021-10-29 · Westat · Valproic Acid Solution
    “Study terminated by the Sponsor.”
  • withdrawn · 2021-10-29 · Westat · Valproic acid
    “Study terminated by the Sponsor”
  • withdrawn · 2021-10-08 · University of British Columbia · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “Unable to recruit participants”
  • terminated · 2021-10-07 · Kimberly S Jones · Valproic Acid (VPA)
    “Difficulty recruiting participants”
  • terminated · 2021-09-24 · Rambam Health Care Campus · Antiepileptic (either carbamazepine, lamotrigine, phenytoin or valproic acid)
    “publication of better study”
  • terminated · 2021-08-12 · University of Michigan · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “COVID shutdown”
  • terminated · 2021-02-09 · Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “Study was terminated due to high heterogeneity of enrolled patients”
  • withdrawn · 2020-05-18 · Johns Hopkins University · valproic acid
    “PI left JHU and is not able to be reached for updates”
  • terminated · 2020-02-25 · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Valproic Acid (VPA)
    “Due to low accrual”
  • terminated · 2019-10-21 · OPKO Health, Inc. · Valproic acid
    “Business Decision”
  • terminated · 2019-06-26 · Stanford University · Valproic Acid
    “We did not recruit the research assistant and terminated the study”
  • terminated · 2018-09-28 · Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins · valproic acid
    “The study was terminated per the PI decision.”
  • terminated · 2018-04-17 · University of Miami · Valproic Acid
    “Investigator Decision”
  • terminated · 2018-03-09 · University of California, San Francisco · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “Premature closure for lack of efficacy.”
Paediatric incentives and obligations for ALDH5A1's drugs

For valproic acid, divalproex, valproate: what EMA and FDA publish about paediatric plans, orphan status and pediatric approvals, and how many registered studies take children. Each line is a yes, no or not published fact from the record linked under it; none of it is a forecast.

Rare pediatric disease voucher. FDA, content current as of 29 Apr 2026: “As of February 3, 2026, enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the rare pediatric disease PRV program will sunset after September 30, 2029. FDA may not award any PRVs under this program after September 30, 2029.” Voucher sale prices are not shown here; they appear only as company-reported news. FDA: Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Priority Review Voucher Programs

All 3 drugs and clinical candidates as a table

Each drug, stage and indication links to its Open Targets record, where the trials and approvals behind it are listed. Salt forms (for example a mesylate) are listed as Open Targets records them, as separate entries.

DrugTypeHighest stageIndicationsSource records
VALPROIC ACIDSmall moleculephase 4epilepsy, bipolar disorder, Seizure, Generalized non-motor (absence) seizure, complex partial epilepsy, mitochondrial disease, autism, childhood absence epilepsy, +95 moreOpen Targets · ChEMBL
DIVALPROEX SODIUMSmall moleculephase 4bipolar disorder, Generalized non-motor (absence) seizure, epilepsy, complex partial epilepsy, Seizure, migraine disorder, Vomiting, Anorexia, +26 moreOpen Targets · ChEMBL
VALPROATE SODIUMSmall moleculephase 4epilepsy, neuropathic pain, alcohol dependence, bipolar disorder, glycogen storage disease V, cancer, Wolfram syndrome, myelodysplastic syndrome, +5 moreOpen Targets · ChEMBL