Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. has divulged heteroaryl compounds acting as sodium channel protein type 10 subunit α (SCN10A; Nav1.8) blockers reported to be useful for the treatment of pain.
Virpax Pharmaceuticals Inc. expects to submit an IND application for Envelta (MET-LENK) around the middle of next year following review of comments made by the FDA on the company’s pre-IND submission. If successful, first-in-human trials would also be expected to begin around the middle of the year.
Sodium channel protein type 10 subunit α (SCN10A; Nav1.8) blockers have been reported in a Humanwell Healthcare (Group) Co. Ltd. patent as potentially useful for the treatment of pain.
Aurimod GmbH’s CEO, Stefan Kampusch, reported filing patent protection for a device for auricular punctual stimulation and the treatment of pain that comprises a current generator for generating stimulation current pulses and electrical lines for connection to an electrode to be positioned on the ear.
Hangzhou Bio Sincerity Pharmaceutical Technology Co. Ltd. has identified histamine H3 receptor antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of pain, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, epilepsy, sleep disorders, obesity, eating disorder, neuropathic pain and itching.
Scientists at the University of Chicago have discovered a signaling pathway guided by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) that could relieve pain even when tolerance to opioids was present. This mechanism did not produce dependence after treatment and could be explored to develop new drugs.
Mu opioid receptors (MOR) agonists exert strong anti-nociceptive activity but their ability to cause tolerance and physical dependence are serious issues of concern and limit their use. The activation of another branch of opioid receptors discovered lately, the opioid-related nociceptin receptor 1 (OPRL1) has recently shown the ability to enhance MOR agonist-induced analgesia while limiting tolerance and side effects.
Over the last six years, more than 20,000 patients have been implanted with the Sprint PNS system to manage acute or chronic pain, SPR Therapeutics Inc. reported. The 20,000th patient was treated for low back and leg pain with the Sprint Extensa XT system, which like the company’s other systems is implanted for 60 days in a minimally invasive surgery. The system uses percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) to recondition the central nervous system to provide long-term, significant relief from pain.
