Pain
Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that severely impacts the quality of life.
Neuropathic pain is a form of chronic pain that is caused by damage to, or a malfunction of, the nervous system. Neuropathic pain can be associated with a number of other disease conditions, such as infection, diabetes, immune deficiencies and ischemic disorders, and it can be exacerbated by trauma or administration of chemotherapeutic agents.
It is estimated that 26 million patients worldwide are affected by neuropathic pain, and the lack of efficacy and presence of side effects of existing therapies can significantly impact the quality of life of these patients. Inspired by the unmet medical need and motivated by the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities outside of oncology, we began developing IPI-940, an inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). IPI-940 is designed to potentiate the magnitude and duration the body’s natural pain relief, without the debilitating side effects. Beyond neuropathic pain, our FAAH inhibitors also have potential applicability in inflammatory conditions, anxiety and depression.