AlzeCure Selects Drug Candidate And Enters Next Phase Of Development With TrkA-NAM ACD137 Against Severe Pain

AlzeCure Pharma AB (publ) a pharmaceutical company that develops a broad portfolio of small molecule candidate drugs for diseases affecting the central nervous system, with projects in both Alzheimer’s disease and pain, today announced that the company has selected a TrkA-NAM drug candidate, ACD137, and started the preclinical development phase with the compound.

”AlzeCure's unique TrkA-NAM substances have extremely selective effects so that optimal pain-relieving effect is achievable without inducing side effects. As the TrkA-NAM substances are small molecules, they can be taken in tablet form, which makes it easier for the patient but also contributes to a more cost-effective treatment,” said Pontus Forsell, Head of Discovery and Research at AlzeCure.

ACD137 is being developed within the TrkA-NAM project in AlzeCure's Painless platform, with the aim of developing a new pain-relieving drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other severe pain conditions. In the project, a drug candidate has now been selected to proceed into the preclinical development program, which includes safety and tolerability studies, as well as formulation work and stability testing.

ACD137 blocks NGF-mediated signaling via TrkA receptors, a biological mechanism with strong genetic, preclinical and clinical validation for its role in pain. AlzeCure has already demonstrated that TrkA-NAM substances have a potent analgesic effect in preclinical pain models. Studies also show that they have a substantial anti-inflammatory effect, something that can enhance the analgesic effects in clinical contexts and open up further areas of use. Furthermore, effects have been seen on relevant biomarkers for inflammation and pain.

”We are very pleased to have now selected a promising drug candidate and started the preclinical development phase with ACD137. There is great interest from the pharmaceutical industry in this target mechanism, and the fact that we have such a potent and selective substance is a decisive advantage, as several big pharma companies have tried to develop TrkA-NAM assets. In indications such as knee osteoarthritis, there are also large medical needs and a growing patient group,” said Martin Jönsson, CEO of AlzeCure.

About TrkA-NAM
The TrkA-NAM project, which is in research phase, is focused on the treatment of pain. The target mechanism, NGF / TrkA signaling, is well-validated both preclinically and clinically and provides a promising alternative to new analgesics without the side effects and addiction problems observed with opioids.

For the TrkA-NAM drug project, we have leveraged our knowledge concerning the underlying biology for the NeuroRestore platform in order to develop new compounds that focus on providing pain relief in conditions associated with severe pain.

The goal of the project is to develop a small-molecule TrkA-negative allosteric modulator for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain and other severe pain disorders. The global osteoarthritis market is expected to reach USD 11.0 billion by 2025, from USD 7.3 billion in 2020. Growth in this market is driven by factors such as the increasing occurrence of osteoarthritis, the growing aging population, and an increase in the number of sports injuries. Over 240 million people worldwide suffer from painful and activity-limiting osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. Many patients experience insufficient pain relief or side effects with current treatment, which today usually consist of NSAIDs or opiates and there is a great need for more effective and better tolerated drugs in this field.