C4X recently announced that their C4X3256 programme has been awarded a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA, a division of National Institute of Health (NIH)). The grant of approximately $480k will support the pre-clinical development of C4X3256 in cocaine use disorder, an additional addiction indication with high unmet need. Recently licensed to Indivior, C4X3256, an oral Orexin-1 receptor antagonist, has demonstrated an excellent safety profile and preclinical efficacy in models of nicotine addiction.
An estimated 1.5 million adults are suffering from cocaine use disorder in the US alone. Current therapy relies on behavioural approaches, while most medications used in in-patient addiction treatment rehabilitation centers are indicated for other conditions and are associated with poor tolerability. Orexin-1 receptor antagonists present a new mechanism for the potential treatment of craving and/or prevention of relapse in cocaine addiction.
Supported by the grant from NIDA, C4X Discovery will investigate the efficacy of C4X3256 in pre-clinical self administration and reinstatement models of cocaine seeking and taking behaviours seen as analogous to those seen in cocaine use disorder. The pre-clinical studies will be co-ordinated by C4X Discovery via its drug discovery CRO network, with the support of its development partner, Indivior. The one-year project is expected to begin in Q3 2018.
Full press release can be read here.
