PainCeptor Pharma announces positive clinical results that validate ASICs as novel targets for human pain

09-15-2008: PainCeptor Pharma announced that PPC-5650, a potent ASIC1a antagonist, reduces thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia in a human inflammatory pain model, thereby validating ASICs as novel molecular targets for the treatment of pain.

PPC-5650, an investigational drug, is a selective and potent peripherally-acting ASIC1a antagonist being developed for the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory pain. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study tested the efficacy of a single intradermal dose of PPC-5650 on primary hyperalgesia in 15 healthy male subjects in a UVB inflammatory pain model. The trial was conducted at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, with Dr. Burkhard Gustorff, MD, DEAA as principal investigator. Dr Gustorff states "It is very exciting to report on these positive, first time in human results for a novel class of compounds for the treatment of pain."

The results from the study demonstrate that PPC-5650 exerts a significant (p(less than)0.05) treatment effect on heat pain tolerance threshold and mechanical pain sensitivity.