LSU Health New Orleans announced the discovery and clinical advancement of a new non-opioid therapeutic candidate for treatment of acute, chronic, and neuropathic pain and migraine headaches which does not have the organ toxicity or addiction potential of other currently-available pain therapeutics.
Nicolas Bazan, MD, Boyd Professor and director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence, led the team that discovered this innovative therapeutic and is the senior author of this week’s publication in Nature’s Scientific Reports. This new peer-reviewed manuscript provides in-depth insights into the novel compound’s activity and mechanism while also confirming gene expressions and signaling networks in the brain that are critical to managing and treating pain.
Bazan said, “Our research offers hope for millions suffering from pain while also providing a pathway to counteract addiction. This extensive study also validates the entrepreneurial and translational potential of the research conducted at the LSU Health Neuroscience Center of Excellence. By understanding and harnessing the brain’s own mechanisms, we are addressing the opioid crisis by developing safer, more effective pain management solutions for people worldwide.”
LSU Health New Orleans has exclusively licensed the patents defining the family of non-opioid pain therapeutics to South Rampart Pharma to advance this new, safer painkiller to the market. With support from institutional, federal, and venture funding, the lead compound (SRP-001) now has successfully demonstrated safety and efficacy in Phase 1 human clinical trials. Recently, the FDA granted Fast Track designation for SRP-001 for acute pain treatment, acknowledging its potential to address a critical unmet medical need and ensuring the drug will advance into more comprehensive clinical trials.