Navega Therapeutics Announces CIRM Grant for Treatment of Chronic Pain

 Next-generation AAV gene therapy targets intractable chronic pain

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Navega Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing epigenetic gene therapies, today announced the receipt of a $4M Translational Science grant from CIRM for the relief of neuropathic pain. Founder and CEO, Ana Moreno, expressed her gratitude for the second grant from CIRM which has supported the development of NT-Z001. Navega harnesses its AI-enabled platform for the construction of novel, highly selective epigenetic editors. The expression of Na_v1.7 is down-regulated by the epigenetic editor, NT-Z001, and results in relief of chronic pain across multiple animal models. The grant will fund the final preclinical development studies of NT-Z001 leading to an IND.

Developing a Non-Opioid Treatment for Chronic Pain

Navega is pursuing a radically different approach for treatment of chronic pain associated with rare diseases and other common intractable chronic pain conditions such primary erythromelalgia and small fiber neuropathy by harnessing the precision of its AI-enabled zinc-finger epigenome regulation platform. Navega's epigenetic therapy, NT-Z001, targets the gene SCN9A that encodes for NaV1.7, a sodium channel responsible for pain signal transmission. NT-Z001 is a non-addictive gene therapy for chronic pain that will also be used in other intractable pain indications, including neuropathic and inflammatory pain. "We are delighted to have been chosen from among a pool of highly qualified applicants. This is Navega's second grant from CIRM and we appreciate their continued confidence in our ability to conduct high quality, innovative science directed to the relief of patients suffering with intractable pain." - Ana Moreno, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Navega Therapeutics, Inc.

About Chronic Pain

Approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide including more than 100 million in the US alone, suffer from chronic pain. Of these, the conventional treatment for severe chronic pain is opioid narcotics. Despite their efficacy in pain relief, opioid use has many deleterious side effects, foremost amongst them being the risk of addiction. A staggering 1 in 4 people prescribed opioids become addicted. Furthermore, a concerning trend is that around 80% of those addicted to heroin misused prescription opioids first.

Over the last decade, opioid prescriptions have surged by 300%, yet there has not been any discernible reduction in reported pain. Tragically, more than 130 Americans succumb to opioid overdose each day. The desire to curtail opioid usage is evident among both medical professionals and patients. However, the persistent prescription of opioids is largely due to the scarcity of viable alternatives for managing chronic pain. This critical gap in treatment options has precipitated a burgeoning health crisis. Therefore, the urgency for alternative pain management will only continue to grow.

About Navega Therapeutics

Navega is a preclinical stage company developing epigenetic-regulation gene therapies to tackle common and complex diseases via a proprietary AI-enabled epigenetic editor platform. Due to the involvement of NaV1.7 in multiple chronic pain states, Navega is harnessing the power of the epigenome to modify its expression and treat multiple chronic pain indications. Other indications in Navega's pipeline include neurological and inflammatory disorders.

California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine's mission is accelerating world class science to deliver transformative regenerative medicine treatments in an equitable manner to a diverse California and world.

SOURCE Navega Therapeutics