The University of Queensland’s commercial arm, UniQuest Pty Ltd, is creating a new company, Neurotide Pty Ltd, to develop the next generation of pain killers.
The company’s research will be led by UQ’s Professor Istvan Toth and Dr Joanne Blanchfield, who hope to create an oral pharmaceutical for pain based on the body’s own natural pain killer, endomorphin.
Professor Toth said endomorphin existed naturally in the brain but without modifications its short-life span made it unsuitable as a drug.
“We already know that synthesised endomorphin can relieve pain when delivered directly to the brain but at Neurotide we are planning to develop a version of endomorphin that can be taken as a tablet,” Professor Toth said.
“In addition to developing a new drug for acute and chronic pain, we hope to create new treatment for neuropathic pain, which can be caused by diabetes, injury and certain infections and is notoriously difficult to treat.”
Neuropathic pain is caused by malfunctioning nerve cells and results in the body sensing pain in the absence of any external painful stimulus. The pain caused by a phantom limb is an example of neuropathic pain.
UniQuest Managing Director, David Henderson, said Neurotide aimed to meet the large market need for better pain drugs.
“We hope to access the international market for pain drugs, which is currently estimated at US$38 billion per year. In particular we are targeting the US$2.2 billion market for neuropathic pain drugs, where the need is greatest” Mr Henderson said.
“In the next 18 months, Neurotide plans to demonstrate that their drug can relieve pain in vivo, and if this is successful we will move towards human trials.”
Neurotide recently received $249,450 funding from the Australian Government’s Biotechnology Innovation Fund (BIF) to carry out its proof of concept work.
For more information, contact Julia Renaud, Corporate Development Manager, UniQuest, on (07) 3365 4037, 0438 436 179 (mobile) or email j.renaud@uniquest.com.au; or Professor Istvan Toth on (07) 3365 1386 or (07) 3365 7107 or email Istvan@pharmacy.uq.edu.au),
