Using UB Technology to Develop Opioid Alternatives

By Jessica Szklany

Built on scientific discoveries from the lab of Arin Bhattacharjee, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Channavix Therapeutics, LLC is developing two patent families related to long-lasting, non-opioid, non-addictive pain therapeutics.

The privately held biotech company was founded in partnership between Bhattacharjee, Elsa C. Daurignac, PhD, research assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Jacobs School, and Peregrine BioVentures LLC, based out of Pittsford, N.Y. 

The team behind Peregrine is no stranger to drug development. With previous successes building a biotech company in Western New York and out-licensing other drug programs to pharmaceutical companies, Peregrine was formed to focus on high-value, early-stage biotechnology opportunities. It saw potential in what Bhattacharjee was doing at UB.

“When we were first connected to Dr. Bhattacharjee and his laboratory through UB’s Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships team, we were impressed by the science, approach and its opportunity to be developed to address a large, important, unmet clinical need. The business and scientific team that we have assembled for Channavix has a long history of working together and we are very excited for the opportunity to move these programs forward,” said Kyle Monroe, CEO of Channavix.

Bhattacharjee and Daurignac will continue to serve in key scientific advisory roles for Channavix.

The Channavix pipeline includes two different programs for selective analgesia, both licensed from UB’s Technology Transfer office, part of Business & Entrepreneur Partnerships. 

“The discoveries by Dr. Bhattacharjee enable new ways to inhibit pain pathways by selectively modulating neuronal signaling through local Na_V1.8 inhibition and blocking CGRP (Calcitonin gene-related peptide) signaling while strongly minimizing adverse reactions, including addiction potential,” said Jonathan Bourne, PhD, executive vice president at Channavix. “Building from this very strong scientific foundation, we believe that these programs have the potential to profoundly improve the lives of people (and animals) suffering from pain.”

According to the company, both programs have shown significant reduction in pain signaling while sparing mechanical sensation and motor control. Animal models have also shown multiple weeks of pain relief after a single local injection. Possible pain therapeutic indications include acute and chronic pain such as post-surgical, inflammatory, musculoskeletal, and arthritic pain.

“The arthritic pain market is substantial and early data also shows the potential for additional disease modifying benefits” said Bhattacharjee. “We are very proud of what we have achieved. Now, this is about getting non-opioid pain therapeutics to the people who need them.”