We are a pre-revenue, development-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing new medicines to treat pain and neuropathy. Following the closing of the Combination described below, we became the sole owner of Pharmagesic (Holdings) Inc. ("Pharmagesic") and their wholly owned subsidiary, Wex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Wex"), and Wex’s wholly owned subsidiaries, IWT Bio, Inc. ("IWT"), Wex Medical Corporation ("WMC"), and Wex Medical Limited ("WML").
Our pipeline is focused on treating chronic neuropathic pain and neuropathy. Our Halneuron Na v 1.7 modulation program is intended to treat chronic and acute pain disorders. Our recently licensed SP16 program is centered on a cell signaling molecule that has shown early promise in treating neuropathy and nerve damage. The Halneuron program is a proprietary non-opioid Na v 1.7 analgesic program centered on voltage-gated sodium channel modulation, a mechanism known to be effective for reducing pain. SP16 is the focus of a planned Phase 1b study that is fully funded through a research grant supplied by the National Cancer Institute, with patient enrollment projected to start in mid-2026.
Our lead product candidate, Halneuron , is in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain ("CINP"). The active pharmaceutical ingredient is highly purified Tetrodotoxin ("TTX"), a potent sodium channel modulator found in puffer fish and several other marine animals. Halneuron works as an analgesic by modulating the activity of Na v 1.7, a key sodium channel involved in pain signal transmission. By reducing the activity of the Na v 1.7 channel, Halneuron has the potential to reduce pain associated with conditions involving neuropathic pain.
Pain signals are transmitted as electrical nerve impulses that travel along a nerve. An electrical impulse is generated when the nerve cell depolarizes, triggering what is known as an action potential. This depolarization is triggered by an inflow of sodium ions through specific ion channels on the surface of the cell membrane. Halneuron is known to bind to the Na v 1.7 sodium ion pore found on nociceptive pain fibers in a highly selective manner, reducing the inflow of sodium ions, and thereby reducing the propagation of pain signals.