Sept. 21, 2023
The NIH’s CRP Award Further Validates the Business Case and Commercial Opportunity of
SRP-001 as a First-in-Class Non-narcotic Analgesic for Acute and Chronic Pain
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 21, 2023 — South Rampart Pharma, Inc. (“South Rampart” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage life science company advancing innovative medications for the treatment of pain, today announced that it has been awarded The Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program (CRP) grant by the National Institute of Health (NIH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) for its application entitled ‘Novel non-narcotic analgesic for acute and chronic pain.’ This grant under award number 2SB1NS119103–04 propels select biotech firms towards market readiness, bolstering South Rampart’s mission to foster advancements in the safer treatment of pain management through novel non-narcotic solutions. Today’s announcement follows the Company’s earlier receipt of the NIH’s Fast-Track Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Commercialization Grant of $1.9 million, also administered through the NINDS/NIH. South Rampart’s lead clinic asset, SRP-001, a first-in-class non-opioid analgesic, is concluding a Phase 1 trial.
Robert W. Naismith, PhD, co-Investigator for South Rampart’s CRP grant, commented, “We’re both excited and humbled to have received this prestigious and robust endorsement by scientific and industry-leading experts at the NIH, as it relates to SRP-001’s unique ability to fill a critical unmet medical need of advancing safer, non-addictive pain treatments.” Dr. Naismith co-founded the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and has founded several biopharmaceutical companies, including Pharmakon Research International, Biofor, and Life Science Analytics, all of which he successfully exited. He has had extensive career experience in the financial markets, serving as Chairman of the publicly traded MicroCap Fund and Managing Director at Bluestone Capital Partners, which led to the founding of Emedsecurities. He has served on the Board of Directors at Peoples Security Bank & Trust, the Life Sciences Greenhouse Venture Fund, and The Wright Center for Graduate Education.
Hernan Bazan, MD, CEO & Co-Founder, added, “This significant NIH CRP grant propels us forward, both clinically and commercially, advancing us one step closer to realizing our goal of launching a next-generation pain medicine into the market.” A panel of field experts conducted a comprehensive review and competitive scoring during the CRP process, finding the science and business opportunity highly compelling. This led to the proposal selection from a pool of applicants.
SRP-001 is a novel, non-opioid small molecule with the potential to overcome many risks associated with current pain medicines, including the liver toxicity of acetaminophen. Importantly, SRP-001 mirrors acetaminophen’s clinically validated mechanism of action while simultaneously muting the biological activity that causes liver toxicity. In August 2023, South Rampart announced that the first patient of its Phase 1 trial, multiple ascending dose (MAD) study, has been dosed. The primary objective of the MAD study is to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of oral SRP-001 to healthy male and female volunteers, with the primary endpoints being safety and tolerability by assessing adverse events (AEs), vital signs, electrocardiograms (ECGs), physical examinations, laboratory safety tests, and select PK/PD parameters. The trial is expected to be completed in 2023.
About South Rampart Pharma, Inc.
South Rampart Pharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage life science company dedicated to advancing the safe treatment of pain by developing best-in-class novel small molecule solutions that can overcome many risks associated with current pain medicines. The Company’s pipeline of novel compounds has effectively reduced pain and fever in pre-clinical studies without current non-opioid analgesics’ liver and kidney toxicity. The Company’s lead program, SRP-001, is currently in a Phase 1 study evaluating the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics [ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05484414] with data expected in 4Q 2023.
About the NIH STTR Award
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and STTR, collectively the Small Business Programs, are also known as America’s Seed Fund. By setting aside more than $1.2 billion from its Research & Development Funding specifically for Small Business Programs, the NIH supports promising early-stage small businesses nationwide after a rigorous review of a technology’s scientific merit and commercialization potential. The STTR grant is administered through the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). South Rampart Pharma’s award entitled ‘Novel non-narcotic analgesic for acute and chronic pain’ is being conducted in collaboration with the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) Neuroscience Center of Excellence through the end of 2023.
Please visit the Company’s website at southrampartpharma.com and connect on LinkedIn and X for more information.
Investors:
Josh Blacher, MBA
Chief Financial Officer
jblacher@southrampartpharma.com