Monday, September 8, 2008

Logical Therapeutics launches painkiller study

Logical Therapeutics Inc. reports it has begun a study of its drug LT-NS001, a treatment for pain, inflammation, fever and arthritis. The Waltham-based company also announced the resignation of its founding CEO, Mitchell Fink.

Logical said the test is a double-blind, randomized, active-controlled, multinational study of LT-NS001, a novel prodrug, which is converted in the bloodstream to naproxen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). NSAIDs are the most common medications taken worldwide for the treatment of pain, inflammation, fever and arthritis, including both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, the company said. The study will assess gastrointestinal injury by endoscopy after seven days of therapy.

The company is trying to find an alternative to NSAIDs with less incidence of side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding. The company said NSAID-related side effects cause about 100,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 to 20,000 deaths annually in the United States.

In pre-clinical studies in rats and dogs, LT-NS001 was shown to cause significantly less damage to the gastrointestinal tract than equivalent doses of naproxen, according to Logical. The company said LT-NS001 was previously evaluated in two Phase 1 pharmacokinetic studies. In all cases, LT-NS001 was well tolerated. Moreover, when the subjects were dosed twice daily with LT-NS001, plasma concentrations of naproxen were within the therapeutic range.

In 2007, Logical closed a $30 million Series B round to advance the development of an anti-pain compound intended to serve as a safer alternative to Vioxx. Earlier in 2007, the company moved from Pittsburgh to Waltham after Boston venture capital firm SV Life Sciences led its second round of venture financing.