Kineta, a Seattle-based biotech company, began developing a non-opioid drug for chronic pain five years ago, according to THV11.
Here are five insights:
1. The drug, KCP 400, comes from a cone snail venom protein.
2. The drug does not include venom, however, as Kineta created a synthetic version.
3. Unlike opioids, which target the brain and spinal cord to hide the pain, KCP 400 focuses on the exact injury site to block pain signals.
4. Kineta is planning human clinical trials, where clinicians inject patients with the drug weekly.
5. The company plans to initiate the trials in 2018.