/EINPresswire.com/ Barcelona, October, 2010 – BCN Peptides and DiverDrugs, two biopharmaceutical companies specialized in peptides, announced positive preclinical results of their candidate for cancer pain, chronic pain and other inflammatory pain conditions and their intention to conduct Phase I clinical trials.
DD04107 is a peptide that produces long acting analgesia by blocking the release of pro-algesic agents (substance P, SP and calcitonin gene related peptide, CGRP) and the inflammatory-mediated exocytotic recruitment of TRPV1 channels (transient receptor potential vanilloid, TRPV). DD04107 will be a new class of non-opioid and non- steroidal analgesics to enter clinics for pain indication. With this molecule being filed for Phase I clinical trials, BCN Peptides and DiverDrugs have demonstrated their strengths in Peptide Therapeutics and will have one of the most in-depth research programs in pain transduction.
Unlike to TRPV1 antagonists currently under development or botulinum neurotoxins, preclinical toxicology studies have demonstrated that DD04107 does not induce any kind of toxicity nor hyperthermia in the tested animal models.
The companies intend to develop DD04107 for cancer pain as the primary indication, although other indications have not been discarded. The companies expect to start Phase I trial in Q2 2011.
Cristina Carreño (CEO of DiverDrugs) said “This is a significant achievement for our company, as it validates our drug discovery program established in the pain management field. The highlight for this research program is that the lead peptide acts through a molecular mechanism that involves abrogation of inflammatory-mediated neuronal exocytosis of pain receptors, as well as pro-inflammatory peptides”.
“We are extremely glad to start Phase I trials with DD04107”, said Berta Ponsati (CEO of BCN Peptides); “based on the positive data obtained in the preclinical studies we have decided to proceed with the development of DD04107. This molecule will be the first peptide drug of a new class of analgesics and will make an important contribution in the current Pain Therapy. Our intention is to look for licensing partners and to make territorial commercialization deals”.
About BCN Peptides SA
BCN Peptides is focused on the cGMP manufacture of Bioactive Peptides for Pharmaceutical and Veterinary applications since 1990. Generic peptides and custom synthesis of proprietary API Peptides are its main activity. BCN Peptides’ R&D capacities are also developing until preclinical stages its own proprietary peptides. The company complies with the highest Quality Standards and has been successfully inspected by several national and international agencies (among them the EDQM and the US-FDA). Since 2008, it operates in a brand new specially designed facility, which allows BCN Peptides to be one of the leading companies in the GMP manufacture of bioactive peptides. This facility is located in the surroundings of Barcelona (Spain).
About DiverDrugs SL
DiverDrugs is a drug discovery company that aims to develop lead compounds related to different medical and cosmetic niche markets. In the medical field the company is focused on nervous system diseases such as acute and chronic pain, which remain largely untreated today. The company’s innovative technology combines the power of combinatorial chemistry with the design of optimal assays that allow the rapid screening of enormous libraries of molecules to identify new lead compounds. In addition, the company has recently implemented a functional genomic platform directed to identify new therapeutic targets in the pain transduction area. DiverDrugs’ headquarters, together with the chemistry department, are located in Gava, Barcelona, while the biological department is situated in Elche, Alicante, Spain.
Source: BCN Peptides S.A.
Dr. Berta Ponsati, dd04107@bcnpeptides.com
