Kineta, a clinical stage biotechnology company that develops novel therapies in oncology, neuroscience and biodefense, announced that it has received regulatory approval for the initiation of Phase 1 clinical trials of KCP506, a first-in-class α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist, for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain.
α9α10 nAChR antagonists have demonstrated robust analgesic, anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects across multiple preclinical chronic pain models. KCP506 may potentially be an effective treatment for many types of chronic neuropathic pain including radiculopathy, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and diabetic neuropathy.
Kineta is planning to initiate a double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial of KCP506 in Q4 2020. These trials will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of KCP506 in healthy subjects.