Biohaven Therapeutics Ltd., a subsidiary of Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., along with CD3 and LICR at KU Leuven, announced that they have entered into an exclusive global license and research agreement to develop and commercialize first-in-class TRPM3 antagonists to address the growing proportion of people worldwide living with chronic pain disorders. The TRPM3 antagonist platform was discovered at the Centre for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3) and the Laboratory of Ion Channel Research (LICR) at KU Leuven.
Also Read: Optimvia and Ginkgo Bioworks Announce Partnership to Manufacture Biosynthetic Heparin
BHV-2100 is the lead TRPM3 antagonist from the platform and an orally-bioavailable small molecule TRPM3 antagonist. TRPM3 is a cation channel involved in pain signaling and a novel target for the treatment of pain discovered at KU Leuven’s LICR. Consistent with the role of TRPM3 in pain, data generated at KU Leuven demonstrated that BHV-2100 may reduce pain behaviors in animal models without the detrimental side-effects seen with other pain management approaches and mechanisms.
Vlad Coric, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., said, “We are pleased to expand our pipeline of novel compounds targeting pain disorders, which already includes our migraine focused CGRP franchise, through this collaboration with CD3 and KU Leuven. There is an urgent unmet need for safe, effective treatments for pain, and TRPM3 antagonism is a promising approach to advance new pain therapies. Based on the extensive characterization of the mechanism and encouraging preclinical data generated to date by KU Leuven, we are excited to collaborate with these academic leaders to bring BHV-2100 into clinical development.”
Thomas Voets, professor at KU Leuven and group leader at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, said “We are excited to collaborate with Biohaven and look forward to advancing our TRPM3 program towards clinical applications for the benefit of chronic pain sufferers.” Joris Vriens, professor at KU Leuven added: “Our fundamental research has shown that TRPM3 is a promising target for a novel type of analgesics, and this partnership will give us the necessary resources to advance our TRPM3-targeting compounds to the clinical stage.”
Charlie Conway, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc. remarked, “Professors Voets and Vriens at KU Leuven have been pioneers in elucidating and validating the pivotal role of TRPM3 in pain signaling. Their research provides a strong rationale for advancing TRPM3 modulators to treat pathological pain. I’m excited to carry BHV-2100 forward as the first candidate in a potentially transformative class of pain therapies.”