St. Charles Pharmaceuticals receives grant for research on new analgesic

NEW ORLEANS St. Charles Pharmaceutical has announced that it has received funding for the first year of three for a research grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

St. Charles Pharma is a Louisiana based company that will use the award, technically a Cooperative Small Business Phase II SBIR Grant for Translational Research, to fund the research of SCP-123, which the company is working hard to place into clinics. The award will also work in funding the preparation of the application to be submitted to the FDA.

SCP-123 is an analgesic that treats neuropathic pain, and according to published reports, offers greater pain reduction, reduced side effects and has the potential to also treat acute, migraine, post-operative and pediatric pain.

“We are excited. Dr. Narducy and his research team have now raised $6 million in NIH grant funding to support the Company’s drug development efforts,” John Koerner, St Charles’ chairman, stated. “If all goes well, SCP-123 could fill a large, unmet medical need and become a drug of first choice—a blockbuster—for the treatment of neuropathic pain. This grant award is a big plus toward mitigating development risk and making it all happen.”