Discovering Effective Treatments & A Cure for Fragile X Syndrome

Your support enables FRAXA Research Foundation to fund groundbreaking research and life-changing clinical trials.

How Does FRAXA Help?

FRAXA’s mission is to find effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Fragile X syndrome. We directly fund research grants and fellowships at top universities around the world. We partner with biomedical and pharmaceutical companies, large and small, to bridge the gap between research discoveries and actual treatments.

Every member of our staff and Board of Directors is a parent of one or more children with Fragile X, making our commitment to this cause deeply personal.

Treatments for Fragile X are likely to help people affected by autism, Alzheimer’s, and other brain disorders.

What is Fragile X Syndrome?

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of autism and intellectual disabilities. It affects 1 in 4,000 boys and 1 in 8,000 girls worldwide.

Fragile X syndrome occurs when a single gene on the X chromosome shuts down. This gene makes a protein needed for normal brain development. In FXS it does not work properly, the protein is not made, and the brain does not develop as it should.

Symptoms of Fragile X syndrome can include developmental delays, social anxiety, and learning disabilities, which vary between individuals.

The Latest from FRAXA

FRAXA Drug Validation Initiative (FRAXA-DVI)

August 13, 2025

The FRAXA Drug Validation Initiative (FRAXA-DVI) provides speedy, cost-effective, objective preclinical testing of potential Fragile X treatments. FRAXA-DVI uses in-vitro systems, behavior batteries, and gene expression and peripheral biomarker platforms to validate investigational new drugs and repurposed available compounds in Fragile X syndrome (FXS).

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Shionogi’s EXPERIENCE Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Zatolmilast in Fragile X Syndrome

August 5, 2025

Shionogi’s EXPERIENCE clinical trials for Fragile X syndrome are nearing completion and enrollment for the adult and adolescent trials are closed. Learn more about the study, FRAXA’s role, and the open-label extension.

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Sex Differences and the Role of Estrogen Receptors in Fragile X

July 29, 2025

Fragile X syndrome researchers are studying how estrogen receptors shape brain activity and may explain why males and females experience symptoms differently.

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FRAXA's Impact to Date

Explore 30 years of outstanding Fragile X research.

$35.8M

Direct Investment in Fragile X Research

43

Teams Actively Researching Fragile X Syndrome

33

Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Partners

649

Fragile X Research Grants Awarded