AKIGAI develops novel treatments for chronic neuropathic pain by repurposing existing EGFR-inhibitors. The company focuses on creating an effective therapeutic option that avoids the central nervous system side effects common with current pain medications. Their approach leverages preclinical data and patient observations to advance a targeted EGFR-inhibitor for clinical use.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
An estimated 10% of the Western population suffers from chronic neuropathic pain, a condition for which current treatments are effective in only a small fraction of patients and often carry significant side effects or addiction potential. This leaves a substantial unmet medical need for more efficacious and safer therapeutic options.
Solution
AKIGAI is developing novel Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) inhibitors for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Leveraging a drug class with a long history of safe use in millions of patients for oncological indications, AKIGAI is pursuing two distinct routes of administration: intravenous monoclonal antibodies for acute pain management and oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors for chronic conditions. The company's strategy focuses on repurposing existing EGFR inhibitors and developing new chemical entities that specifically target pain pathways, aiming to provide rapid, non-addictive pain relief with a favorable side-effect profile. AKIGAI is actively seeking collaborators to advance these targeted therapies through clinical development.
Target Audience
AKIGAI targets pharmaceutical companies and research institutions interested in developing new treatments for neuropathic pain, including those holding patents for EGFR inhibitors or seeking to license them for pain indications.
Features
- Development of novel EGFR inhibitors for neuropathic pain, building on a well-established drug class with a proven safety record in oncology.
- Dual-track development strategy:
- Intravenous monoclonal antibodies for acute pain management, offering rapid onset of action for conditions like cancer-related neuropathic pain and CRPS.
- Oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors for chronic neuropathic pain, potentially targeting specific heterodimers for enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects.
- Repurposing of approved EGFR inhibitors and advancement of developmental candidates with demonstrated safety profiles.
- Exploration of de novo drug development for second-generation EGFR inhibitors optimized for pain relief.
- Clinical data from over 100 patients across multiple pain entities and EGFR inhibitor classes indicating significant pain relief and minimal central nervous system side effects.
- Proprietary market protection mechanisms for repurposed first-generation EGFR inhibitors.