News and Press
Pain Drug Candidate Enters Phase 1 of Clinical Evaluation by Partner Allergan
News
JUL
2008
Allergan Inc, is to initiate clinical development of a re-targeted endopeptidase drug candidate for the treatment of chronic pain.
Syntaxin, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel biologic drugs that control cell secretion, today reports that its partner, Allergan Inc, is to initiate clinical development of a re-targeted endopeptidase drug candidate for the treatment of chronic pain. An IND for the drug candidate filed by Allergan was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July. The novel biological entity resulted from a Syntaxin – Allergan collaboration and Allergan plans to commence a phase 1 trial in the near future.
The drug candidate was discovered using a proprietary re-targeted endopeptidase discovery platform developed under the collaboration. Preclinical studies of the molecule have demonstrated potent and long acting analgesia in a range of models of chronic pain. Syntaxin has two endopeptidase-related collaborations with Allergan utilising Syntaxin technology in the fields of pain and nerve disorders.
Dr Scott Whitcup, Allergan’s Executive Vice President, Research and Development said, “We are very pleased that our relationship with Syntaxin has delivered its first clinical stage drug candidate. Based on preclinical studies, we believe it may offer significant advances in the treatment of chronic pain.”
Syntaxin designs and develops novel drugs for the treatment of pain, nerve disorders, respiratory, endocrine, inflammatory and oncology diseases using novel mechanisms that selectively modulate cell secretion. The company’s proprietary technology is protected by a broad portfolio of issued patents and enables the discovery of novel biological entities with broad therapeutic applicability in these major disease areas. In addition to the Allergan partnered programmes in pain and nerve disorders, Syntaxin continues to progress its preclinical product pipeline in other disease areas.
Patrick Doyle, CEO of Syntaxin, said: “We are pleased to reach this significant milestone and view it as an endorsement of our re-targeted endopeptidase biologics platform. Our own programmes in respiratory, endocrine, inflammatory and oncology diseases position us well for future product development partnerships with the pharma and biotech industry.”