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 31.07.2019

The UdG proves the effect of an Esteve drug that prevents spinal cord injury pain

A team of scientists from the University of Girona (UdG) has shown the effect of an Esteve drug to prevent the development of the pathological pain resulting from a spinal cord injury. The study is of great importance because there are currently no medicines that are really effective against this pathological pain caused by spinal cord injury. With this research, the pharmaceutical group, which has its Drug Discovery and Preclinical Development Units at the Barcelona Science Park, is again committed to collaborative innovation to provide solutions to medical needs not covered in diseases of high social impact.

 

Two out of three people affected by a spinal cord injury feel pain that has a significant impact in their quality of life and, unfortunately, in most patients current treatments are not effective. Now, a scientific team from the University of Girona (UdG) has demonstrated the effect of a medicine that will prevent the development of the pathological pain resulting from a spinal cord injury.

The journal Frontiers in Pharmacology has published the results in a paper by Sílvia Castany, as lead author. The researcher made this discovery within the framework of her doctoral thesis supervised by Dr. Pere Boadas-Vaello, undertaken in the research Clinical Anatomy, Embryology and Neuroscience Research Group (NEOMA) and the company Esteve, within the Industrial Doctorates Plan of the Government of Catalonia.

The study, performed on animal models, found that administering the medicine E-52862, developed by Esteve Pharmaceuticals, after a spinal contusion considerably reduced the possibility of this pain emerging over 28 days. This period coincides with the end of the critical stage just before the pain becomes chronic.

According to the researchers, this time would represent several months in the case of humans. The research, which is at a preclinical stage, provides continuity to a prior study by the same scientific team in which it was demonstrated that mice modified genetically by the therapeutic target E-52862 developed less pain after the spinal contusion. This breakthrough was published in the journal Scientific Reports, in March 2018.

The fact that today there are no medicinal products that are really effective against this pain makes it necessary to develop of new pharmacological strategies. For this reason, the results of this study are of great scientific importance. Fruit of this investigation, Sílvia Castany obtained the Summa cum laude of Biomedicine doctoral program of the UdG and is currently undertaking postdoctoral research work in Sweden.