AlzeCure Pharma AB (publ) (FN STO: ALZCUR), a biotech company that develops candidate drugs for diseases affecting the nervous system, focusing on Alzheimer's disease and pain, today announced that a scientific article has been published on the preclinical characterization of ACD137, the lead drug candidate in the TrkA-NAM pain project.
The scientific article, titled Analgesic, anti-inflammatory and joint protective effects of ACD137, a selective negative allosteric modulator of TrkA, in models of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and osteoarthritis, has been published online in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain and is written by Pontus Forsell, PhD and Head of Discovery & Research at AlzeCure Pharma. Co-authors are Maria Backlund, Veronica Lidell, Azita Rasti, Cristina Parrado Fernandez, Märta Segerdahl, Johan Sandin and Gunnar Nordvall.
The article describes how the lead drug candidate in the TrkA-NAM project, Painless ACD137, was developed and characterized. Data from the preclinical studies show that the substance is highly potent and selective, with good properties for further development as a drug. ACD137 mediates its effects by blocking NGF-mediated signaling via TrkA receptors, a biological mechanism with strong genetic, preclinical and clinical validation for its role in pain. The substance has potent analgesic effects in several different preclinical pain models, both in neuropathic pain and in models of osteoarthritis-related pain. The analgesic effect of ACD137 has been shown in a comparative study to be as effective as the anti-NGF antibody Tanezumab, which has demonstrated significant and robust pain relief in several large clinical trials. Furthermore, anti-inflammatory and protective effects on the knee joint were observed, indicating a disease-modifying effect and which has great potential value in patients with osteoarthritis.
“This article describes how we have worked in our TrkA-NAM program to identify the highly potent and selective TrkA-NAM compound, ACD137. The compound has potent analgesic effects in preclinical in vivo models, both in neuropathic and nociceptive pain, indicating multiple applications in pain relief. Due to the selective mechanism of action, we also expect a much better safety profile of this class of compounds compared to anti-NGF antibodies,” said Pontus Forsell, project leader and Head of Discovery & Research at AlzeCure Pharma.
“We are very pleased and proud of the results presented in this scientific publication. There is a significant and growing interest in our TrkA-NAM program among external stakeholders, especially since the mechanism of action has not shown the side effects and addiction problems observed with opioids. In addition, the medical need is very large and growing. Today, it is estimated that over 600 million people suffer from painful osteoarthritis*,” said Martin Jönsson, CEO of AlzeCure Pharma.
The article is now available online via the following link: https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/sjpain-2026-0007/html
*) Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021; The Lancet, Volume 5, Issue 9, 2023
