Positive results from KAI Pharmaceuticals' pain therapeutic program

Oct 20 2009

KAI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held drug discovery and development company, announced positive preclinical results from its program targeting the gamma protein kinase C (PKC) pathway for the development of novel therapies for pain. This program, which is the Company’s second in the pain area, is advancing towards IND-enabling studies based on preclinical data presented in a poster at Neuroscience 2009, the 39th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, taking place in Chicago, IL from October 17-21. KAI’s most-advanced pain program is focused on KAI-1678, a first-in-class, isozyme-selective, small peptide inhibitor of epsilon PKC, which is currently enrolling patients in multiple phase 2a clinical studies.

Preclinical data, generated in studies undertaken with Dr. Sarah Sweitzer at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, demonstrate that a selective, intracellular peptide-based gamma PKC inhibitor is effective in reversing allodynia, a primary component of neuropathic pain. The joint research team also determined that the gamma PKC inhibitor acts specifically on a part of the central nervous system (the dorsal horn of the spinal cord) that is involved in how individuals process pain.

Stephen D. Harrison, Ph.D., KAI’s Senior Vice President of Research commented, “Our preclinical data provide confirmation of the role of novel, isozyme-selective gamma PKC inhibitors in central sensitization associated with secondary mechanical allodynia. Based on these data, we are strongly positioned to identify clinical candidates for single-agent use as well as potential combination therapy with our epsilon PKC inhibitor, which is currently in phase 2 clinical testing in several pain indications. This research has increased our understanding of the use of peptide therapeutics in pain, which in turn may lead to important innovations for the treatment of patients with unmet medical needs.”