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news.TVM Life Science Ventures VII has made an investment into FAAH Pharma to help the company continue the clinical development of a compound with the potential to treat neuropathic pain.
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Originally discovered and developed by Infinity Pharmaceuticals, the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor has already been tested in the clinic in healthy volunteers and will be studied in a Phase 2a trial.
During Phase IIa trial, the compound would be studied along with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a syndrome of intractable neuropathic pain that follows shingles, caused by an outbreak of the herpes zoster (chicken pox) virus.
Claimed to be more prevalent in individuals over the age of 55, PHN affects approximately 20% of individuals infected with herpes zoster.
TVM Capital Life Science general partner Dr Cynthia Lavoie said: "We believe that human proof-of-concept from a Phase IIa trial will provide strong clinical validation for this well-known target in postherpetic neuralgia, and a basis for development in other neuropathic pain indications."
Infinity chief scientific officer Vito Palombella said: "The inhibition of FAAH increases levels of anandamide, a naturally occurring cannabinoid in humans, which we believe could result in a prolonged local analgesic response to pain."
FAAH Pharma’s management team has selected Chorus, the early phase virtual drug development arm of Eli Lilly and company’s Global External R&D organization, for clinical development of the compound.