New scientific article published on positive clinical results with Painless ACD440 against neuropathic pain
AlzeCure Pharma AB (publ) (FN STO: ALZCUR), a pharmaceutical company that develops candidate drugs for diseases affecting the nervous system, focusing on Alzheimer's disease and pain, today announced that a scientific article has been published on the clinical phase Ib results that support the continued development of the lead drug candidate Painless ACD440.
The article, titled Topically applied novel TRPV1 receptor antagonist, ACD440 Gel, reduces evoked pain in healthy volunteers, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, has been published online in the European Journal of Pain and is written by Märta Segerdahl, MD, PhD and CMO at AlzeCure Pharma. Co-authors are Magnus Halldin, Matthias Rother, Traian Popescu and Klaus Schaffler.
The article focuses on the clinical phase Ib study with ACD440. The results show that ACD440 had significant analgesic effects of laser-induced pain compared to placebo both when the individual was asked to rate their pain experience and when pain-related brain activity was measured. Furthermore, significant effects on mechanical pain sensitivity were also observed. The results also showed that the analgesic effects lasted for at least 9 hours and that the product was very well tolerated as a topical gel on the skin, which indicates good suitability for further clinical development, i.e. as a local treatment against nociceptive and neuropathic pain conditions.
ACD440 is a first-in-class TRPV1 antagonist in clinical phase being developed as a new topical local treatment for peripheral neuropathic pain. The drug candidate, which was incorporated via a strategic in-licensing, originated in Big Pharma and is based on a strong scientific foundation, which in 2021 was awarded a Nobel Prize. The substance is developed as a gel for topical use, which keeps the systemic exposure very low while the concentration of the substance locally can be kept high to achieve a maximum analgesic effect, and over a long period of time.
"The publication shows the proof-of mechanism for ACD440, i.e. that the substance has a high and significant pain-relieving effect. Combined with our Phase IIa clinical data in chronic patients with peripheral neuropathic pain, this strengthens the continued development opportunities for ACD440," said Märta Segerdahl, CMO at AlzeCure Pharma.
“There is a great medical need for effective and safe non-opioid treatments for neuropathic pain. 7-8 out of 10 patients do not experience a satisfactory effect of existing treatment, and the area is the single largest in pain. Our project ACD440 has a very big potential," said Martin Jönsson, CEO of AlzeCure Pharma.
The article is now available online via the following link: http://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.2299