Ionix granted patents on novel analgesic programme
Ionix Pharmaceuticals, the UK-based company involved in the discovery and development of analgesic drugs, has been granted further patent protection in support of its programmes to develop analgesics that modulate the sodium channel drug target, Nav1.8.
Ionix Pharmaceuticals, the UK-based company involved in the discovery and development of analgesic drugs, has been granted further patent protection in support of its programmes to develop analgesics that modulate the sodium channel drug target, Nav1.8.
In May Ionix was granted two patents covering proteins that regulate the expression of this target. These inventions form the basis of the company's IX-4000 drug discovery programme for the treatment of chronic pain and urological disorders.
Ionix is developing a portfolio of novel analgesic drugs, including programmes addressing voltage-gated calcium and sodium channels. The company has two programmes that focus on Nav1.8, a drug target that is activated and up-regulated in chronic pain states: IX-3000 channel blockers and IX-4000 channel regulators. Ionix also owns granted patents in the US and Europe relating to the Nav1.8 target itself.
'Our strong intellectual property position supports the significant progress we have made in the development of selective blockers and regulators of Nav1.8,' said Dr Mike Perkins, who recently left Pfizer to join Ionix as chief development officer.
The company has also initiated a Series C equity financing with new investment from existing investors Apax Partners and The Wellcome Trust. The financing will enable the development of calcium and sodium channel blocker programmes through to clinical proof-of-concept.
In addition to its calcium and sodium ion channel analgesic programmes, Ionix is undertaking clinical development of IX-1003, intranasal buprenorphine for acute pain and has a pipeline of proprietary analgesic discovery programmes.