Novel topical treatment for pain

1. Novel topical treatment for pain • McGill University is seeking a company interested in developing and commercializing novel topical treatment for neuropathic, ischemic, muscle, arthritic and multiple sclerosis pain based on anti-allodynic combinations. Pain is a significant economic burden and affects the quality of life of a large number of individuals. In the USA alone it is estimated that over 35 million people suffer from some type of pain and this translates to an annual market value of over $10 billion in the USA, and almost $50 billion worldwide. Current treatments are at best symptomatic and often involve oral or iv administration of drugs which are associated with high occurrence of side effects. An effective topical treatment with few side effects would be well received. The intellectual property is protected by a US provisional patent filed in April 2010. • Applications • Topical treatment of pain from various etiologies: neuropathic, ischemic, muscle, arthritic and multiple sclerosis. • Advantages • Unique topical formulation • Synergisticcombination for pain conditions unresponsive to conventionaltherapy • Minimal CNS sideeffects and low abuse potential • In vitro and in vivo data documentingefficacy in wellrecognized animal models

2. Technology • The invention proposes to use topical treatments pain of various etiologies based on synergistic anti-allodynic combinations of alpha2-adrenergic agonists or nitric oxide donors with phosphatidic acid (PA) inhibitors. The combinations produce synergistic effects by increasing both local thermoregulatory and nutritive blood flow, as well as producing anti-oxidant, anti-cytokine, immunosuppressant and mitochondrial protective effects, which contribute to pain in these syndromes. As topical agents, producing only local effects, these treatments should have no or minimal central nervous system side-effects, or abuse potential, as occurs with many standard therapies. • The Inventor • Dr Coderre is an Associate Professor in Anesthesia, and is an Associate Member in the Departments of Psychology, and Neurology & Neurosurgery at McGill University. He is the director of pain research laboratories in the Anesthesia Research Unit and at the MUHC Research Institute, and a member of the McGill Centre for Research on Pain. He received a PhD. in Psychology (Behavioural Neuroscience) from McGill University in 1985, and • then received postdoctoral training in Anatomy and Medicine (Neuroscience) at University College London and University of California San Francisco, respectively. He spent 10 years as director of the Pain Mechanisms laboratory at the Institut de recherchescliniques de Montréal, before moving to McGill University in 2000. He conducts studies of spinal cord and brain mechanisms of pain processing, concentrating on the study of mechanisms of neural plasticity underlying, and the development of animal models for, chronic pain. His studies involve a multidisciplinary approach to neuroscience, including behavioral, neuropharmacological, neurochemical and neuro-anatomical studies in laboratory animals. Dr Coderre is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Neuropathic Pain and Symptom Palliation; and Pain Research and Management and Pain Management. He is a former member of the executive (treasurer) of the Canadian Pain Society (CPS) and is co-chair of the CPS Special Interest Group on Neuropathic Pain. Dr Coderre has been awarded the Early Career Investigator Award from the Canadian Pain Society and the Patrick D. Wall Young Investigator Award from the International Association for the Study of Pain. Astrid Reimann, Ph.D, MBA Office of Sponsored Research McGill University Tel: 514-398-2393 Email: astrid.reimann@mcgill.ca Reference code: ROI 10029 Opportunity: Exclusive license and research collaboration