Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. a biopharmaceutical company utilizing innovative technology to fuel drug discovery and clinical development of novel treatments for central nervous system disorders, announced that it has been awarded a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the development of novel Estrogen Receptor beta (ER-beta) agonists for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The grant provides funding of up to $2.4 million and was awarded under the NINDS Fast-Track Small Business Innovative Research Co-operative Programme in Translational Research that supports the identification and preclinical testing of new therapeutics for neurological disorders.

“We are delighted to be awarded this NINDS grant, which allows us to advance our promising ER-beta program in the area of neuropathic pain and provides important recognition of our scientific discoveries,” said Uli Hacksell, PhD, chief executive officer of Acadia. “Our ER-beta compounds also offer the potential for an innovative disease-modifying approach to the treatment of Parkinson's disease, and our initial studies in this area have been supported by grants from The Michael J Fox Foundation.”

Studies have shown that estrogen modulates many cerebral functions such as mental state, mood, cognition and perception of pain. Estrogen stimulates both ER-alpha and ER-beta receptors. Acadia researchers have identified novel and selective ER-beta agonists that may address the symptoms of chronic, inflammatory and neuropathic pain while avoiding the side effects associated with activating ER-alpha receptors. Pursuant to the grant, Acadia will initially examine the efficacy of selected proprietary ER-beta compounds in preclinical models and intends to subsequently conduct preclinical development studies required in support of potential future clinical studies.

Neuropathic pain is a debilitating disorder caused by damage or dysfunction of the nervous system and originates from many diverse sources including diabetic and hereditary neuropathies, herpes, chemotherapy, physical traumas and surgery. Current first-line medications are limited by variable efficacy and adverse effects. There is a major unmet medical need for novel, safe and effective drugs to treat neuropathic pain.