Sea4Pain

Development of a novel analgesic for chronic pain from marine-derived compounds

Programme | Horizon 2020

Call | H2020-EIC- SMEInst-2018-2020 (SME Instrument) Topic | EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020 Type of action | SME-1

Project ID | 815852 Project acronym | Sea4Pain

Approval Date | 23-03-2018 Starting Date | 01-05-2018 Ending Date | 30-09-2018  

The Sea4Pain project will expand and define the development strategy for Sea4Us’s “Drug Discovery and Development Platform” – a platform that applies novel biotechnological approaches to exploit marine derived compounds for the development of novel pharmaceuticals highly relevant for biomedicine.

The first lab-based research results have clearly demonstrated the benefits of marine compounds in a series of pathologies, like chronic pain, and the huge potential of its derivate products in the health market. In particular, our innovative breakthroughs will lead to the development of a unique, high efficacy analgesic (ion channel blocker), with reduced toxicity and limited side-effects (Sea4Pain). This extremely innovative approach shows a differentiated mode-of-action (acting directly in the “pain switch”), that will give rise to a new class of pharmaceutical drugs with no expected adverse effects on the brain (currently being patented). The disruptive compound will block specific ion channels in pain-sensing neurons (Kv), for which there is no known modulator in clinical use, and ease the suffering of one fifth of the World’s population who constantly suffer from chronic pain.

Sea4Pain will offer alternative treatments for patients suffering from moderate to severe chronic pain. Current drugs in the market (opioid derivatives and others) do alleviate pain but co-inflict important noxious effects (habituation, addiction, loss of drive) and great loss in quality of life. The global pain management drugs and devices market was estimated to be worth $38 billion in 2015 and reach $51 billion in 2022 at a CAGR of 4%.

 

For more information, see the official SME Instrument website.