iQure Pharma Awarded Patent for Therapy to Treat Neuropathic Pain and Epilepsy

DELAWARE, January 12, 2022 ─ iQure Pharma Inc. (iQure), a US-based global biotech company, has been awarded a patent for a therapeutic being developed for the treatment of neuropathic pain and epilepsy (iQ-007). In addition, iQure’s multi-targeting compound to treat pain (iQ-008) has entered the national patent stage.

Dedicated to a new generation of neuropathic pain management therapeutics, iQure developed iQ-007 as a new chemical entity with a novel mode of action. This therapeutic has demonstrated a favorable safety profile with promising results in the secondary indication of epilepsy. iQ-008 is a rationally designed multitargeting compound which, in preclinical efficacy screenings, shows a promising profile in all in vivo pain models.

“We are delighted with this first patent granted for iQ-007,” said iQure Chief Executive Officer Pawel Zolnierczyk. “This crucial step in the process of developing a new treatment helps to build awareness about the importance of therapies for neuropathic pain. One of the limiting factors in epilepsy and pain management treatments, like drug-resistant epilepsy, childhood epilepsy and painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, are the debilitating central side effects limiting use in the current standard of care. Our goal is to bring relief to those populations.”

Recent experiments confirmed that iQ-007 acts as a positive allosteric modulator of naturally occurring neuromodulator EAAT2. Through this unique mechanism, it enhances the natural glutamate uptake preventing neurotoxicity often associated with epilepsy and neuropathic pain. iQ-007 has already been granted formal confirmation of patent protection by the Polish patent office.

With iQ-008 showing efficacy in outperforming standards of care, iQure is securing global protection, including the US, Europe, China and Canada. For both assets, iQure’s patents focus on composition of matter claims and medical use in neurological disorders.

Novel and promising mechanism of action for new neuropathic pain candidate iQ-007 confirmed

Delaware – November 2021, iQure Pharma Inc. (iQure), a company dedicated to the development of new pain management therapeutics, can confirm that the mechanism of action of its new neuropathic pain candidate, iQ-007, is through positive allosteric modulation (PAM) of a key glutamate neurotransporter.

iQ-007 is a promising therapeutic candidate being developed for the treatment of Neuropathic Pain and Epilepsy. iQ-007 exhibited a superior safety profile with promising efficacy results during in vivo testing.

One of the limiting factors in epilepsy and pain management treatments, like drug-resistant epilepsy, childhood epilepsy and painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, are the debilitating central side effects limiting use in the current standard of care. Company asset iQ-007 has been extensively evaluated by prestigious the NIH ETSP program and showed a surprisingly good safety profile, while maintaining excellent and broad efficacy. Recent experiments confirmed that iQ-007 acts as a positive allosteric modulator of naturally occurring neuromodulator EAAT2. Through this unique mechanism, it enhances the natural glutamate uptake preventing neurotoxicity, often associated with epilepsy and neuropathic pain.

Pawel Zolnierczyk, Chief Executive Officer:

We are extremally glad to receive these results which substantiate previous findings with respect to efficacy and safety, where iQ-007 showed significant efficacy with virtually no side effects. As iQ-007 showed no interaction with any of the typical CNS targets, we are now confident that iQ-007 is acts not through inhibition of usual CNS pathways, but by enhancing the human body’s natural ‘safety’ system. With this unique profile, iQ-007 has tremendous opportunity to make a positive contribution to the treatment of pain, epilepsy and potentially other EAAT2 mediated diseases. We are now focused on a series of value confirming studies which will help to optimize the asset’s market positioning. We are very fortunate to be able to work with the highly respected research group led by Prof. Krzysztof Kaminski from Jagiellonian University, whose work led to the current determination of iQ-007’s mechanism of action.

iQ-008 Accepted into NIH Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain (PSPP)

Delaware – May 2021, iQure Pharma Inc. (iQure), a company dedicated to the development of new pain management therapeutics, is proud to announce that its lead asset iQ-008, has been accepted into the prestigious NIH PSPP (part of the NIH HEAL InitiativeSM) program to identify and profile non-addictive therapeutics for pain.

iQ-008, a Triple Action Agent, is a promising therapeutic candidate being developed for the treatment of Neuropathic Pain. iQ-008 is a rationally designed multitargeting compound which in preclinical efficacy screening showed very promising profile in all in vivo pain models.

The Helping to End Addiction Long-term InitiativeSM, or NIH HEAL InitiativeSM, is an aggressive, trans-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis. The PSPP is an efficient, rigorous, one-stop screening resource to accelerate discovery of effective, non-addictive, non-opioid pain therapies. The program consists of a fully NIH-funded, stepwise testing approach, including an assessment of in vitro binding studies and pharmacokinetic profiles, side effect profiles, abuse liability, and efficacy in models relevant to human pain conditions.