Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today it has licensed its
P2X3 receptor program aimed at developing first-in-class
treatments for chronic pain to Afferent Pharmaceuticals. Afferent was
co-founded by Anthony Ford, Ph.D., Pappas Ventures, and Third Rock
Ventures, and is focused on developing compounds that treat chronic pain
by targeting a novel biological pathway. In conjunction with this
announcement, Afferent successfully closed a $23 million Series A
financing, which was led by Third Rock Ventures and Pappas Ventures, and
included Domain Associates and New Leaf Venture Partners. Proceeds from
the financing will be used to accelerate the development of P2X3
receptor targeted pain therapies.
More than 270 million people worldwide suffer from chronic pain. While
product reformulations or combinations of established molecules have led
to new product introductions, there has been little recent success in
identifying novel mechanisms for successfully managing and treating
pain. Existing therapeutic approaches such as opioids, antiepileptic
drugs and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including COX-2
inhibitors, have documented drawbacks in inadequately addressing patient
needs and presenting safety, efficacy, tolerability and addiction
concerns.
“A major drawback of existing pain medications is their lack of
specificity for pain pathways,” commented Dr. Ford, who will serve as
chief scientific officer of Afferent. “Afferent is poised to lead the
way with an entirely novel, targeted mechanism for treating chronic
pain. Research shows that P2X3-containing receptors are highly specific
to nerve fibers that transmit the sensations of pain and discomfort in
response to inflammation or injury, particularly in chronic conditions.
P2X3 antagonism represents a breakthrough and potentially transformative
approach to treating chronic pain associated with conditions such as
osteoarthritis, back pain, visceral pain and neuropathy. Our preclinical
and clinical data on this program suggest a very compelling
first-in-class, orally delivered product, and we look forward to
initiating clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of the lead
product candidate, AF-219, in several indications early in 2010.”