Imbrium Therapeutics Submits Investigational New Drug Application to Evaluate Sunobinop for the Potential Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Imbrium Therapeutics L.P. (“Imbrium”), a subsidiary of Purdue Pharma L.P. (“Purdue”), has submitted an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to evaluate sunobinop for the potential treatment of moderate to severe alcohol use disorder (AUD)*.

Sunobinop is an investigational, novel and potential first-in-class oral compound discovered by our scientists that is currently in clinical development. Sunobinop is designed to bind to and activate the nociceptin/orphanin-FQ peptide receptor (NOP), a protein that is widely expressed in the central and peripheral nervous system¹ and involved in a range of biological functions.²

“Over the past several years, the data collected to date in our sunobinop development program has supported this potent, partial and selective agonist³ as a potential treatment approach for AUD and other serious conditions,” said Dr. Julie Ducharme, Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to improve public health as an R&D driven pharmaceutical company, we look forward to learning more about sunobinop and the role of NOP receptors in AUD,” said Craig Landau, MD, President and CEO, Purdue.

Sunobinop Development Program

Imbrium is evaluating sunobinop as a potential treatment option for AUD, as well as for overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). This IND submission is informed from data that suggest NOP agonists, like sunobinop, have potential for the treatment of AUD.^4,5

Preclinical studies have shown activation of NOP in AUD models reduces the reinforcing and motivating effects of ethanol (alcohol).^6,7 In humans, NOP activity has been associated with relapse risk in patients with AUD.⁸

The National Institute of Drug Abuse has identified NOP receptor agonists in the ten most wanted pharmacological mechanisms for rapid development of therapeutics to treat substance use disorder.⁹

Sunobinop studies have suggested improvements in various sleep measurements. Building on these data, Imbrium intends to conduct a two-part, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study to evaluate the impact of sunobinop given at bedtime on alcohol consumption, as well as alcohol craving. In this Phase 2 study, a total of 240 subjects with moderate to severe AUD who are seeking treatment will be recruited.

*This release discusses investigational uses of an agent in development and is not intended to convey conclusions about efficacy or safety. There is no guarantee that sunobinop will successfully complete development or gain FDA approval.

About Imbrium Therapeutics L.P.

Imbrium is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to advancing medical science through the development of important new therapeutics. We are pursuing treatments for genitourinary disorders, disorders of the central nervous system, oncology chemotherapeutics, and non-opioid approaches to the management of pain. As a subsidiary of Purdue Pharma L.P., Imbrium strives to develop new medicines that serve the unmet needs of patients, physicians, and health systems worldwide. We have built a robust and diversified pipeline of investigational drug candidates, and we seek to actively collaborate with industry and academic partners to identify and advance future impactful medicines. For more information, please visit www.imbriumthera.com.

References:

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2. Lambert D. The nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor: a target with broad therapeutic potential. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2008;7:694–710.

3. Whiteside G, Kyle D, Kapil R, et al. The nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor partial agonist sunobinop promotes non-REM sleep in rodents and patients with insomnia. J Clin Invest. 2024; 134(1):e171172

4. Kuzmin A, Sandin J, Terenius L, Ogren SO. Acquisition, expression, and reinstatement of ethanol-induced conditioned place preference in mice: effects of opioid receptor-like 1 receptor agonists and naloxone. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2003;304(1):310-8.

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8. Tollefson S, Stoughton C, Himes ML, et al. Imaging nociceptin opioid peptide receptors in alcohol use disorder with [11C]NOP-1A and positron emission tomography: Findings from a second cohort. Biol Psychiatry. 2023;94(5):416-423.

9. Rasmussen K, White DA, and Aci JB. NIDA's medication development priorities in response to the Opioid Crisis: ten most wanted. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44(4):657-659.