A new investigational drug aimed at treating neuropathic pain has successfully completed a safety review, allowing it to proceed to the next phase of clinical trials. The drug, ART26.12, is being developed by Artelo Biosciences, Inc., based in Solana Beach, California. It was originally discovered and developed by Dr. Iwao Ojima and Dr. Martin Kaczocha at Stony Brook University.
The technology behind ART26.12 is based on fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) inhibitors and was licensed to Artelo by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York in 2018. Neuropathic pain affects about eight percent of the U.S. population, roughly 20 million people, and ART26.12 targets chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Dr. Ojima's team focused on FABPs within the endocannabinoid system as potential targets for treating pain, inflammation, and cancer. ART26.12 is noted as the first selective FABP5 inhibitor to enter clinical trials.
The safety review committee completed its assessment for the initial cohort of eight volunteers in early January, allowing the phase 1 trial to advance with more subjects and higher doses.
Artelo Biosciences also notes that other potential applications for ART26.12 include treatments for cancer, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, and anxiety.
Drs. Ojima and Kaczocha continue to collaborate with Artelo as these compounds move forward in clinical development.