Serpin Pharma Awarded Competitive NCI Grant for SP16

Manassas, VA, September 20, 2022 --(PR.com)-- The National Cancer Institute awarded Serpin Pharma a $400,000 competitive R43 grant for the Pre-clinical validation of phase II peptide LRP-1 agonist to treat and prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

The Principal Investigators are Serpin Pharma's CEO and Executive Chairperson, Dr. Cohava Gelber and collaborator, Dr. Wendy Campana, Professor of Anesthesiology and Program in Neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the most frequently experienced adverse side effect of patients receiving cancer treatments. Peripheral Neuropathy is the result of damage to the peripheral nerves and is associated with tingling, numbness, weakness, and pain, typically occurring in the hands and feet. Because of the chronic pain and other symptoms associated with CIPN, effective doses of chemotherapeutic agents are reduced or treatment is discontinued, ultimately affecting treatment outcome. It can lead to irreversible damage to the peripheral nerves and in severe cases cause disability. CIPN affects over half of the 28 million cancer survivors, with no available curative treatments.

Serpin Pharma has developed a first-in-class, clinical-stage drug that uniquely targets inflammation and tissue damage without the harmful effects of other typical anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive drugs. This drug, SP16, works by targeting a homeostatic receptor, termed LRP1, that rebalances immune responses and helps to promote the healing of damaged tissues/organs. Through its target, LRP1, SP16 has also been shown to have cell regenerative properties of nerve cells as well as ameliorating pain due to nerve injury. This drug, therefore, is unique in its anti-inflammatory, healing, regenerative, and analgesic attributes

SP16's anti-inflammatory and homeostatic properties have been validated in numerous preclinical disease models and clinical studies (AMI clinical trials). Two unique attributes of SP16 make it an ideal drug for treating CIPN. The first attribute of SP16 is its homeostatic action. SP16 calms down a hyperactive immune response to its natural quiescent state. SP16 drug does not cause immunosuppression and therefore does not adversely affect the patients' capability to fight infection or cancer. The second distinguishing attribute of the SP16 drug is that it not only has tissue-protective and regenerative properties (as demonstrated in animal models of nerve injury) but also analgesic (pain-reducing) effects (as demonstrated in animal models of pain). This pain-relieving effect was similar to a low dose of morphine. Because SP16's target, LRP1, controls many survival and pain mediating mechanisms, the drug could be used in diseases associated with nerve injury and pain, including in patients with immunosuppression.