SiteOne Therapeutics, Inc. has just received a $15 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse as part of the NIH HEAL Initiative, a trans-agency effort to fight the opioid crisis. The grant will support the development of STC-004, an investigational, non-opioid treatment for acute and chronic pain conditions. This marks a significant step forward in finding a safe and effective alternative to opioids for pain management.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is offering a two-phase cooperative agreement: a UG3/UH3 Phase Innovation Award. This award will provide up to $15 million in direct costs to fund the development of a potent and selective Nav1.8 inhibitor for the treatment of acute and chronic pain, with the goal of reducing opioid use and preventing opioid use disorders.
The UG3 phase will involve specific milestones to be achieved in two years, and the UH3 phase will provide additional funding for up to three more years if these milestones are successfully met. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference in the fight against opioid abuse.
SiteOne Therapeutics is delighted to announce that it has received funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to create new solutions for the relief of pain and to reduce the healthcare system’s reliance on opioids.
John Mulcahy, President and Chief Executive Officer of SiteOne Therapeutics, expressed his gladness, stating that this award recognizes their strategy to target particular sodium channels, NaV1.7 and NaV1.8, which are especially present in nerve fibers that sense pain.
Pain is a complex process that requires careful targeting of pathways to provide relief. Unfortunately, opioids and over-the-counter NSAIDs can be risky and ineffective for certain types of pain, such as neuropathic pain. SiteOne Therapeutics is working to develop a therapeutic approach that focuses on inhibiting sodium channel function.
By regulating the misfiring of peripheral nerves that transmit pain signals to the brain, this grant will help to advance the clinical development of their NaV1.8 inhibitors and provide relief to patients across various pain conditions. John Hunter, Chief Scientific Officer of SiteOne Therapeutics, emphasized the importance of this grant in providing real solutions to pain.
This research, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health and the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, is helping to make a positive impact on the fight against drug abuse. With the support of award number UG3DA058552, our team is dedicated to finding new ways to address this important issue and build a healthier future.
About SiteOne Therapeutics
SiteOne Therapeutics is at the forefront of pioneering a new class of highly selective, small molecule inhibitors to treat peripheral hypersensitivity disorders such as chronic cough, itch, and pain. Through innovative research and development, the company is creating safer alternatives to opioids with fewer side effects.
SiteOne is also exploring other potential uses of its sodium channel subtype-selective drugs to treat chronic cough, ocular surface pain, and other hypersensitivity disorders.
About the NIH HEAL Initiative
The NIH HEAL Initiative® is a groundbreaking, trans-NIH effort to tackle the opioid public health crisis head-on. Launched in April 2018, the Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative is dedicated to improving prevention and treatment strategies, as well as enhancing pain management, in order to finally put an end to America’s opioid epidemic.