Nocion Therapeutics Announces First Patient Dosed in ASPIRE Phase 2b Chronic Cough Study

WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nocion Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule charged sodium channel blockers called “nocions”, that selectively silence actively firing nociceptors for the treatment of serious conditions involving cough, itch, and pain, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 2b ASPIRE clinical trial of taplucainium for the treatment of chronic cough.

ASPIRE is a Phase 2b, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigating the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of Taplucainium Inhalation Powder (NOC-110) once daily in adults with refractory or unexplained chronic cough. Approximately 325 patients will be enrolled in the study at over 100 sites across the US, Canada, UK and Europe.

“Dosing of the first patient in the ASPIRE clinical study is a significant milestone for Nocion,” said Rick Batycky, CEO of Nocion Therapeutics. “Taplucainium represents a novel approach to the treatment of chronic cough with the potential to deliver enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects to more than 8 million patients per year just in the United States.”

ABOUT TAPLUCAINIUM
Taplucainium (formerly NTX-1175) is a proprietary molecule in the novel class of charged sodium channel blockers that allows for specific silencing of activated/inflamed nociceptors while having minimal local off-target effects or systemic exposure. Unlike other investigative cough therapies, such as P2X3 antagonists, which target a specific large pore channel, taplucainium is formulated into a dry powder for inhalation, and once inhaled, gains access to the pulmonary nociceptors through any open large pore channel including P2X, TRPV and TRPA channels whereupon it inhibits the sodium channels responsible for initiating the pathological cough response. The broader mechanism of taplucainium should translate into an efficacious, long-lasting, antitussive that is fast acting in a number of cough conditions. Combined with good preliminary safety and efficacy data from earlier stage clinical work, this forms the basis for its use in cough indications beyond chronic cough. For more information, visit https://www.aspirechroniccoughstudy.com/#!/

ABOUT NOCION
Nocion Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule charged sodium channel blockers called “nocions” that selectively affect actively firing nociceptors for the treatment of serious conditions involving cough, itch, and pain. The company’s mission is to safely alleviate suffering for millions of patients with conditions arising from activated sensory neurons. Working with Harvard’s Office of Technology Development, Nocion was founded on an exclusive license to foundational intellectual property from Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital. Venture investors in Nocion include Arkin Bio Capital, Canaan Partners, F-Prime Capital, Lumira Ventures, Mass General Brigham Ventures, Mission BioCapital, Monograph Capital, Morningside and Osage University Partners. For more information, visit: www.nociontx.com.