Neuropathix, Inc.’s CBD Chemotherapy Study Published in British Journal of Pharmacology

Published on: May 24, 2021

British Journal of Pharmacology published a study' findings that highlighted the ability of Neuropathix’s patented compound KLS-13019 to prevent and reverse chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in mice.

Neuropathix, Inc. (Neuropathix), a pain management life sciences company, recently announced the publication of research findings from a study orchestrated by Neuropathix scientists and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) (1). The study’s research was published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, highlighting the ability of Neuropathix’s patented compound KLS-13019 to prevent and reverse chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in mice.

The paper, called “Behavioural and pharmacological effects of cannabidiol (CBD) and the cannabidiol analogue KLS-13019 in mouse models of pain and reinforcement,” reveals the results of the study (2). The intentions of the study were to identify the behavioral pharmacological effects of KLS-13019 in comparison to cannabidiol (CBD) and morphine in mouse models for the treatment of CIPN, nociceptive pain, and reinforcement.

“The collaboration between Neuropathix, Inc. and Temple University has allowed us not only to further our understanding of the effects of CBD in CNS injury and disease, but to make real strides in developing potentially safer and more effective treatments for neuropathic pain based on this fascinating molecule,” said Sara Jane Ward, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the Katz School of Medicine, in a recent press release (1). “We are excited to share these preclinical results with our communities and continue to characterize the safety and effectiveness of KLS-13019.”

The researchers’ study revealed that although CBD and KLS-13019 demonstrated effectiveness in preventing the development of pain associated with CIPN, the cannabidiol derivative KLS-13019 was also able to reverse CIPN-related pain, but CBD was found to be ineffective. Additional results from the study exposed that KLS-13019 did not bind to opioid receptors in the brain, showing that it holds a very low risk for chemical dependency.

“Observation and data drawn from the studies performed in collaboration with Temple University point to a clear discrimination between CBD and KLS-13019,” said Douglas Brenneman, PhD, Chief Pharmacologist of Neuropathix, in the press release (1). “Whereas KLS-13019 stood out for its action in reversing mechanical allodynia in this model system of neuropathic pain, CBD did not. KLS-13019, however, was as active as morphine but at much lower dose response levels, 5 mg/kg vs. 20 mg/kg.”

The most common side effect of chemotherapy drugs is CIPN and has been defined as a progressive, enduring, and often irreversible condition featuring pain, numbness, tingling, and sensitivity to cold in the hands and feet, and sometimes progressing to the arms and legs. The global neuropathic pain market was valued in 2019 at $6.3 billion (3). It is forecasted to reach $9.8 billion by 2027 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% between 2020 and 2027. The global opioids drug market is expected to reach $31 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 2.5% from the forecast period 2020-2027. Opioids are often prescribed in cancer pain management and end-stage diseases in which painkilling is required. With the rising prevalence of cancer, there will be a strong demand for pain therapeutics in the treatment of chronic pain, regulatory approvals and launches of innovative drug formulations, and increasing approval rate of abuse-deterrent formulations of opioid drugs are major driving factors of the global opioids drug market. Opioids can lead patients down the path to addiction and with the research this study has shown, it surely gives hope that cannabis can be seen as a good medicinal alternative in patient care.

Neuropathix, Inc.’s CBD Chemotherapy Study Published in British Journal of Pharmacology

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