Theralpha and Flamel Technologies partner to develop long-acting analgesic peptide

18 May 2011

French drug development company Theralpha SAS has entered into a joint development program with US drug delivery Flamel Technologies for a Medusa-enabled, long-acting formulation of Theralpha's THA-902.

 THA902 is a natural peptide that is a potent and highly specific acid sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC 3) inhibitor. It is effective in inflammatory pain animal models following subcutaneous injection and has a number of possible indications, including post-operative pain, osteoarthritis pain and fibromyalgia.

The development agreement has been structured to leverage Theralpha's pioneering intellectual property regarding Acid Sensing Ion Channels (ASICs) and Flamel's expertise in creating fully bioactive long-acting formulations of peptides, proteins, and other biologics.

The compound to be developed, THA902 XL, is a Medusa-based controlled-release formulation of THA 902. Medusa is Flamel Technologies' proprietary nanogel for the formulation and/or the extended release of a broad range of biologics (including proteins, antibodies, peptides and vaccines) and of small molecules (injectable drugs).

Flamel Technologies will be responsible for formulation chemistry with the objective to potentially improve tolerability and dosing, by reducing administration frequency, and consequently, allowing better patient compliance. Theralpha will be responsible for pre-clinical testing of THA902 XL pharmacodynamics.

Stephen Willard, Flamel's CEO, commented, "We are very excited to enter into this development agreement with Theralpha. ASIC inhibitors are a highly promising class of drugs that could substantially contribute to improved quality of life for the large number of patients who suffer from chronic pain due to inflammation and other causes. THA-902 XL has the promise to be a first in class compound with strong efficacy and safety advantages versus the current standards of care."

"At Theralpha we believe that lack of adequate pain control, particularly in patients with moderate to severe inflammatory pain, represents a significant therapeutic gap in current pain management. There is continued need across inflammatory pain syndromes for novel agents like THA902. We are confident that the formulation developed by Flamel Technologies may improve tolerability and long-term efficacy," said David Dellamonica, CEO of Theralpha.