The new analgesic medication possesses all the properties of existing pain relievers except for the negatives. Experiments on animal models and pilot clinical studies have demonstrated the drug’s safety for internal organs, as well as its lack of addiction potential. The medication is planned for use in treating various types of pain.
Statistically, almost 30% of people worldwide live with pain symptoms. Current prescribed medications either induce addiction (opioids) or are toxic to the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract (paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen). The new drug, SRP-001, developed by South Rampart Pharma, has shown promise in addressing all these issues, reports New Atlas.
In the initial stage of preclinical experiments on mouse models, scientists compared SRP-001 with paracetamol. When paracetamol breaks down in the body, the brain begins to produce the compound AM404, which prompts cells to retain the natural pain-relieving cannabinoid anandamide. With SRP-001 intake, more AM404 was produced. Further observations showed that both drugs activate the same signaling pathways and regulate key genes related to pain. Both also exhibited equal fever-reducing properties.
The difference lay only in the fact that paracetamol produced the toxic compound NAPQI for the liver, whereas SRP-001 did not. As a result, even at high doses, no signs of liver damage were detected in mice with SRP-001 intake.
For comparison, 70% of rodents died when administered a high dose of paracetamol, while none of the mice died with the same dose of SRP-001.
Testing SRP-001 in pilot clinical studies involving 56 volunteers confirmed the absence of damage to vital functions, including kidney and liver functions. No side effects were registered. The drug’s half-life period was less than 10 hours.
Now, scientists plan to test SRP-001 on people with neuropathic pain. Representatives from South Rampart Pharma have already announced receiving accelerated approval for SRP-001 for the treatment of acute pain.
Another alternative to opioids was previously presented by scientists from Vertex Pharmaceuticals. They reported that their drug had completed the final phase of clinical trials, effectively managing both acute and chronic pain.
