Sustained Therapeutics Advancing Clinical Trial for Novel Drug Delivery Platform

A Vancouver-based therapeutics company, Sustained Therapeutics, has received regulatory approval to begin the second Phase II trial of its novel long lasting non-opioid pain medication. Sustained Therapeutics is evaluating a sustained release platform technology that could revolutionize how we treat pain and significantly improve the lives of individuals living with chronic pain. Sustained Therapeutics’ patented medication is a designed to relieve both acute and chronic pain over longer periods with fewer side effects than the current standard of care. A successful Phase I clinical trial resulted in a reduction in pain scores for three quarters of participants, with the effects lasting up to four weeks from a single dose.

The company has received a No Objection Letter (NOL) from Health Canada to move forward with a significant, five-centre Phase II study in treating chronic pain with this new drug. Sustained Therapeutics currently has another Phase II trial underway in acute pain. Both of these trials are using the sustained release technology.

“The NOL from Health Canada is a clear indication that our clinical work is heading in the right direction,” says Dr. Martin Gleave, Founder and Chief Medical Officer. “We’ve got a green light to start our next clinical trial and we expect patient enrollment to begin in the first quarter of 2023. This study will evaluate whether this treatment beats the current standard of care.”

One in five people suffer from chronic pain at some point in their lives, but current treatments like opioids and anti-inflammatory medications have short-term activity or unwanted side effects, and can be highly addictive. There is a significant unmet medical need for pain management in many patients with chronic pain. Sustained Therapeutics’ product is being tested to address these problems by potentially offering up to four weeks of pain relief from a single non-addictive injection, compared to a just a few hours or days for competitive products and the current standard of care.

The World Health Organization in 2019 recognized chronic pain as a legitimate disease. Affected individuals experience impaired mobility, difficulty performing daily activities, decreased mental and emotional health, and increased risk of death by suicide. This new product could offer relief for many patients struggling with this debilitating condition.