Virpax Pharmaceuticals develops targeted drug delivery systems, including Probudur, a liposomal bupivacaine formulation that provides sustained local anesthetic release for up to 96 hours post-surgery. The company addresses the need for non-addictive pain management solutions in multi-billion-dollar markets, including post-operative and severe pain, as well as rare pediatric epilepsy.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Post-operative pain management often relies on opioid-based analgesics, which carry a high risk of addiction and adverse side effects. Current local anesthetics provide limited duration of pain relief, requiring frequent re-administration or supplemental opioid use. There is a need for non-addictive, long-lasting pain management solutions that can reduce or eliminate the need for opioids after surgery.
Solution
Virpax Pharmaceuticals is developing targeted drug delivery systems to address unmet needs in pain management and neurological disorders. Their lead product, Probudur, is a liposomal bupivacaine formulation designed to provide sustained local anesthetic release for up to 96 hours post-surgery. By encapsulating bupivacaine in liposomes, Probudur aims to extend the duration of pain relief at the wound site, reducing the need for opioid-based pain management. The company is also developing Envelta, an intranasal enkephalin powder for severe pain, and NobrXiol, an intranasal cannabidiol powder for rare pediatric epilepsy, both utilizing a molecular envelope technology to enhance drug delivery and efficacy.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients undergoing surgical procedures, individuals suffering from severe pain, and children with rare pediatric epilepsy syndromes, as well as the healthcare providers who treat them.
Features
- Probudur: Injectable liposomal bupivacaine formulation for extended post-operative pain control.
- Demonstrated 96 hours of pain control in animal studies after a single injection.
- Envelta: Intranasal enkephalin powder formulation for severe pain management.
- Designed to control severe pain without respiratory depression, drug-seeking behavior, or drug tolerance (preclinical data).
- NobrXiol: Intranasal cannabidiol powder spray for rare pediatric epilepsy.
- Aims to bypass the blood-brain barrier and avoid drug-to-drug interactions associated with oral formulations.
- Utilizes proprietary liposomal encapsulation and molecular envelope technologies for targeted drug delivery.
- Focus on non-addictive pain management solutions.