There have been a number of transactions in the clinical development stage analgesia market, including Biogen's acquisition of Convergence's NaV1.7 antagonist program for $200M upfront and Novartis' acquisition of Spinifex's analgesic program that targets the angiotensin II type 2 receptor.
Spinnifex Pharmaceuticals has seen successful results in a Phase II trial for their novel angiotensin II type 2 receptor antagonist for the treatment of chronic pain published in the Lancet, and have recently agreed to be sold to Novartis International AG for $200M upfront payment plus undisclosed clinical development and regulatory milestone payments.
According to the American Acadamy of Emergency Medicine, alternative methods of analgesia to opioids are long overdue. Experts agree that reliance on opioids as a primary analgesic is a detriment to patient care, as they are unsafe and expensive.
The use of opioids as primary painkillers in the elderly results in greater hospitalizations and mortality, according to a National Safety Council study. The study found that adults over 65 who take opioids are 87% more likely to die than those who take non-opioid pain medications.
In a report to the U.S. CDC, it was affirmed that the use of opioids for pain relief by pregnant women may nearly double the chances of various birth defects, such as congenital heart defects. This study exposes a problem: the use of opioids during pregnancy primarily occurs before the pregnancy is known, while the unborn child is most at risk to develop birth defects.