Benzinga | Jul 14, 2021 02:01PM EDT

Adial Announces Positive Pre-Clinical Data for its Adenosine Pain Platform

Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADIL, ADILW))))), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of treatments for addictions, today announced advancements related to its adenosine analog development platform being developed by Purnovate, Inc., a division of Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc.



Key highlights:

* Compounds have been developed that are potent against specifically targeted adenosine receptors while being selective over the adenosine A1 receptor, which is known to have cardiovascular and central nervous system effects that can be problematic for many therapeutic indications. Historically, when selectivity has been achieved over the A1 receptor, water solubility has decreased, making effective tissue distribution in the human body (made largely of water) difficult to achieve and the compounds difficult or impossible to develop as drugs.

* Solubility more than 50 times greater than other known selective adenosine compounds of the same class has been demonstrated.

* Testing to date indicates good oral bioavailability so that oral administration (e.g., tablets) is likely to be one of the options for dosing these compounds.

* Initial animal studies indicate the compounds to be pharmacologically active.

* Multiple compounds have demonstrated a meaningful in vivo reduction in pain (rodents).

* All tested compounds appear synergistic with morphine.

* Certain compounds with higher solubility appear synergistic with acetaminophen (Tylenol).

* In vivo studies suggest that certain compounds may have effects against insulin insensitivity, which makes them potential candidates for licensing or partnership.

* Purnovate is establishing relationships to test its compounds in models of asthma, cancer, and inflammation, also with the intent of licensing products that show initial success or advancing partnerships.

Dr. Robert D. Thompson, Adial's Vice President, Chemistry, commented, "We are highly encouraged by the latest preclinical data related to our adenosine platform as a potential therapy for pain relief. Based on these data, we are proceeding with development of our compounds to determine if they may have broad implications as a replacement therapy for opioids or, when used in combination, as a way to support lower dose administration of opioids. Importantly, our latest solubility data may be the key to unlocking the potential of adenosine analogs as a therapy. Specifically, while adenosine analogs have been studied extensively over the past five decades, poor solubility has limited the usefulness of this class of compounds as drugs. We believe our proprietary chemistry and solubility technology may also allow for effective oral administration of these compounds, and that our assessment is further supported by the data. Also noteworthy, we studied our adenosine compounds in combination with Tylenol and demonstrated enhanced pain reduction and duration of pain relief in vivo."

William Stilley, Adial's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We believe there may be a number of potential lead compounds in the current inventory of novel chemical entities further bolstered by patent applications. Our unique chemistry and solubility technology may provide a broad, novel and patentable approach that could firmly establish our position as a leader in the field of pain management. We have also identified other potential physiological benefits, including increased insulin sensitivity, which could result in licensing or partnership opportunities. We are excited to advance these programs and view this latest data as a strong validation of our Purnovate acquisition, which we believe helps further advance our goal of becoming the leading biopharmaceutical company in the addiction space. Our mission is not only treating addiction, but addressing the root causes of addiction, including the systemic overuse of opioids, which has contributed to the current addiction pandemic."