Nektar Presents Positive Preclinical Data for NKTR-171, A Novel Sodium Channel Blocker to Treat Neuropathic Pain, at …

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) today announced that preclinical data for NKTR-171, a new investigational drug candidate to treat neuropathic pain, was presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience: Neuroscience 2012. NKTR-171 is a novel sodium channel blocker designed to act in the periphery in order to treat neuropathic pain while avoiding the serious central nervous system (CNS) side effects associated with current therapies, including anti-epileptic and anti-convulsant medications, such as gabapentinoids.

Neuropathic pain, also known as nerve pain, is a type of chronic pain that occurs when nerves become injured or damaged by systemic disease, infections, autoimmune disease, or physical trauma due to toxins or injuries. It is estimated to effect more than 20 million people in the U.S. alone.1

"Sodium channels have long been known to play a significant role in the changes in neuronal excitability that lead to neuropathic pain," said Stephen Doberstein, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Nektar Therapeutics. "We are extremely pleased that NKTR-171 exhibits effective analgesia in multiple neuropathic pain models without generating the CNS side effects observed with current therapies used to treat neuropathic pain. We look forward to continuing to prepare NKTR-171 for our first human studies, which are planned for 2013."

In a series of in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies examining the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of NKTR-171, NKTR-171 effectively blocks the inactivated state of sodium channel cells and, at the same time, demonstrates a significantly reduced brain to plasma ratio when compared to currently-approved sodium channel blockers.In well-validated animal models of persistent neuropathic pain, NKTR-171 shows superior or comparable efficacy to gabapentin. In addition, at analgesic doses, NKTR-171 did not significantly impair motor coordination in an established preclinical model of sedative potential in animals, suggesting that the therapeutic index (the ability to provide analgesia at doses that do not cause significant side effects) could potentially be greater for NKTR-171 than for currently available therapies.

These data presented in Abstract #81.06/JJ11 at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting can be found on Nektar's website at:

http://www.nektar.com/pdf/pipeline/SFN_2012_NKTR_171_poster.pdf

About NKTR-171

NKTR-171 is a new sodium channel blocker that was designed to block sodium channels in the peripheral nervous system and was created using Nektar's advanced polymer conjugation technology. By selectively restricting the molecule to the periphery, NKTR-171 is intended to provide analgesia for neuropathic pain conditions without the severe sedation and other CNS side effects associated with current therapies used in the treatment of neuropathic pain. In preclinical testing, NKTR-171 demonstrates dose-dependent and effective pain relief without exhibiting sedative effects at analgesic doses.

About Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain, also known as nerve pain or peripheral neuropathy, is the result of nerve damage and can be caused by such diverse conditions as diabetes, shingles, cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, as well as injury or trauma to the nerves. According to the Neuropathy Association, an estimated 1 in 15 Americans suffer from peripheral neuropathy1. Its prevalence is particularly high among diabetes patients and incidence increases with age1. Though neuropathic pain is a very common condition, the symptoms of it can be highly variable, including numbness, tingling, and pricking sensations, sensitivity to touch, or burning sensations, making diagnosis difficult. If left untreated, peripheral neuropathy can lead to permanent nerve damage2.

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Nektar Presents Positive Preclinical Data for NKTR-171, A Novel Sodium Channel Blocker to Treat Neuropathic Pain, at ...