STOCKHOLM, SE / ACCESS Newswire / May 6, 2026 / AlzeCure Pharma AB (publ) (STO:ALZCUR)(FRA:AC6), a biotech company that develops candidate drugs for diseases affecting the nervous system, focusing on Alzheimer's disease and pain, today announced that a scientific article has been published on the preclinical characterization of ACD137, the lead drug candidate in the TrkA-NAM pain project.
The scientific article, titled Analgesic, anti-inflammatory and joint protective effects of ACD137, a selective negative allosteric modulator of TrkA, in models of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and osteoarthritis, has been published online in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain and is written by Pontus Forsell, PhD and Head of Discovery & Research at AlzeCure Pharma. Co-authors are Maria Backlund, Veronica Lidell, Azita Rasti, Cristina Parrado Fernandez, Märta Segerdahl, Johan Sandin and Gunnar Nordvall.
The article describes how the lead drug candidate in the TrkA-NAM project, Painless ACD137, was developed and characterized. Data from the preclinical studies show that the substance is highly potent and selective, with good properties for further development as a drug. ACD137 mediates its effects by blocking NGF-mediated signaling via TrkA receptors, a biological mechanism with strong genetic, preclinical and clinical validation for its role in pain. The substance has potent analgesic effects in several different preclinical pain models, both in neuropathic pain and in models of osteoarthritis-related pain. The analgesic effect of ACD137 has been shown in a comparative study to be as effective as the anti-NGF antibody Tanezumab, which has demonstrated significant and robust pain relief in several large clinical trials. Furthermore, anti-inflammatory and protective effects on the knee joint were observed, indicating a disease-modifying effect and which has great potential value in patients with osteoarthritis.
"This article describes how we have worked in our TrkA-NAM program to identify the highly potent and selective TrkA-NAM compound, ACD137. The compound has potent analgesic effects in preclinical in vivo models, both in neuropathic and nociceptive pain, indicating multiple applications in pain relief. Due to the selective mechanism of action, we also expect a much better safety profile of this class of compounds compared to anti-NGF antibodies," said Pontus Forsell, project leader and Head of Discovery & Research at AlzeCure Pharma.
"We are very pleased and proud of the results presented in this scientific publication. There is a significant and growing interest in our TrkA-NAM program among external stakeholders, especially since the mechanism of action has not shown the side effects and addiction problems observed with opioids. In addition, the medical need is very large and growing. Today, it is estimated that over 600 million people suffer from painful osteoarthritis*," said Martin Jönsson, CEO of AlzeCure Pharma.
The article is now available online via the following link: https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/sjpain-2026-0007/html
*) Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990-2020 and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021; The Lancet, Volume 5, Issue 9, 2023
For more information, please contact
Martin Jönsson, CEO
Tel: +46 707 86 94 43
martin.jonsson@alzecurepharma.com
About AlzeCure Pharma AB (publ)
AlzeCure is a Swedish clinical stage biotech company that develops new innovative drug therapies for the treatment of severe diseases and conditions that affect the central nervous system, such as Alzheimer's disease and pain - indications for which currently available treatment is very limited. The company is listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market and is developing several parallel drug candidates based on three research platforms: NeuroRestore, Alzstatin and Painless.
NeuroRestore consists of one symptomatic drug candidate where the unique mechanism of action allows for multiple indications, including Alzheimer's disease, as well as cognitive disorders associated with traumatic brain injury, sleep apnea and Parkinson's disease. NeuroRestore has received an EU grant from the European Innovation Council and is being prepared for phase 2. Alzstatin focuses on developing disease-modifying and preventive drug candidates for early treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Painless contains two projects: ACD440, which is a drug candidate for the treatment of neuropathic pain with positive phase 2 results and orphan drug designation from the FDA in the USA and from EMA in Europe for the rare pain disease erythromelalgia, and TrkA-NAM, which targets severe pain in conditions such as osteoarthritis. AlzeCure aims to pursue its own projects through preclinical research and development through an early clinical phase, and is continually working on business development to find suitable outlicensing solutions with other pharmaceutical companies.
FNCA Sweden AB is the company's Certified Adviser. For more information, please visit www.alzecurepharma.se.
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Martin Jönsson CEO And Pontus Forsell Head Of D&R AlzeCure Pharma
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New scientific article published on TrkA-NAM ACD137 against osteoarthritic pain
SOURCE: AlzeCure Pharma
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/new-scientific-article-published-on-trka-nam-acd137-against-osteoarth-1164156
