Centrexion Therapeutics Acquires 3 New Analgesics

Centrexion Therapeutics has announced the acquisition of three new analgesic candidates from Boehringer Ingelheim. The company is led by former Celgene chairman and CEO, Sol Barer, Ph.D., who chairs the company’s Board of Directors and Jeffrey Kindler, former chairman and CEO of Pfizer, who serves as the company’s CEO.

“Recognizing the tremendous need for safe, non-habit-forming and effective treatments for chronic pain, we assembled a team of industry and pain treatment leaders to form Centrexion Therapeutics, ” said Kindler in the March 30, 2016 news release. “The acquisition of three of Boehringer Ingelheim’s most promising pain treatment candidates strengthens our existing proprietary pipeline of therapies based on our patented and exclusive injectable trans-capsaicin. With a diversified and rapidly advancing pipeline and an experienced management team, Centrexion is poised to redefine the pain treatment market and transform the lives of people living with chronic pain.”

As described in the news release, the three new analgesic therapies are:

• CNTX-6970 – a novel, potent and selective cytokine CCR2 antagonist with a unique analgesic profile. This small-molecule agent has shown promising efficacy in multiple animal models of inflammatory pain and has recently demonstrated safety and binding to its target in a single ascending dose Phase 1 clinical study. Centrexion Therapeutics will take over finalization of the Phase 1 program.

• CNTX-6016 is the first of a new generation of potent and “super-selective” cannabinoid CB2 agonists. It is 20, 000 times more selective for the CB2 receptor than for the CB1 receptor and thereby able to achieve pain relief without the euphoric and other side effects seen with less selective agonists. Efficacy has been shown in multiple neuropathic pain models with no central nervous system (CNS) side effects. CNTX-6016 is IND-ready.

• CNTX-0290, a first-in-class, potent and selective somatostatin SSTR4 agonist, is a completely novel pain target. It has demonstrated very broad efficacy in multiple animal models of chronic pain and has the potential to treat inflammatory, nociceptive, neuropathic and mixed chronic pain states. CNTX-0290 is IND-ready.

Asked about the development process, James N. Campbell, M.D., co-founder, president and chief scientific officer, told OTW, “The most interesting part of the development process for CNTX-4975 intra-articular injection for knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain has been the magnitude of pain reduction and the long duration of effect seen in knee OA patients in clinical trials. It has been known for many years that capsaicin acts to selectively inactivate the pain fibers, and for the period of time it takes those pain fibers to recover there is analgesia. To date capsaicin has been restricted to topical use of OTC creams, etc., for OA and musculoskeletal pain, but once treatment is stopped, the pain returns in a matter of days or weeks. In the clinical trials with CNTX-4975 in knee OA so far, a one-time injection has produced sustained pain relief out to at least six months.

“If Centrexion Therapeutics is able to successfully develop and bring to market CNTX-4975 for OA pain it will provide an important treatment option for orthopedic surgeons and their patients to manage the pain of moderate to severe OA. Many patients who have knee OA pain that cannot be adequately controlled with current therapies are not suitable candidates for knee joint replacement due to age, comorbid conditions, etc. For these patients CNTX-4975 would be a way to provide meaningful pain relief with a simple twice a year injection.”