Application
- Current therapies for pain include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids, which may result in addiction and poorly tolerated side effects.
- The role of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) as a key player in the generation and maintenance of a wide range of pain states led to the development in the last decade of humanized anti-nerve growth factor Tanezumab (Pfizer) and Fasinumab (Johnson and Johnson & Teva Co) monoclonal antibodies (anti-NGF mAbs).
- These mAbs represent a new class of anti-pain blockbuster drugs, which were developed to target both circulating and local tissue NGF, preventing its binding and activation of the tropomyosin-related kinase-A (TrkA) receptors.
- Clinical studies with Tanezumab in different patient populations, including osteoarthritis, low back pain, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, demonstrate efficacy but with serious side effects due to their high potency to neutralize NGF. Therefore, anti-NGF antibodies are a novel therapy in pain management that show promise in the treatment of certain pain conditions, which at present are poorly treated.
- However, there is an unmet clinical need for novel anti-NGF biologics that are not antibodies, free of the above adverse effects, and with a lower affinity to NGF to avoid its depletion from the circulation.
Our Innovation
We designed, developed, and synthesized a small substituted peptide named Anangfon (Analgetic like NGF mimetic) that similarly to Tanezumab can inhibit the binding and biological neurotropic activity of human recombinant NGF to its TrkA receptor but with lower adverse effects.
Advantages
- Anangfon is 98% pure with a structure confirmed by Mass Spectroscopy and good solubility in water/medium.
- Anangfon has lower potency (IC50~150 ng/ml) in the nanogram range compared to the picogram range of Tanezumab.
- Anangfon demonstrates metabolic stability in serum.
Opportunity
Anangfon peptide represents a peptidomimetic alternative for Tanezumab, to be considered for further drug development for the effective therapy of pain, while lowering side effects.
We are seeking collaboration with pharma companies active in pain therapy.
