Ensysce surges ~30% after pain drug with opioid overdose protection shows promise in trial
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- Ensysce Biosciences (NASDAQ:ENSC) stock soared ~28% on Tuesday after the company said that a study evaluating its opioid pain drug PF614-MPAR with overdose protection was completed.
- The final Part B of the study, dubbed PF614-MPAR-101, evaluated dose escalation of PF614-MPAR from 25 to 200 mg (1 to 8 dose units) and showed that the drug successfully reduced opioid delivery when three or more doses were consumed simultaneously.
- "PF614-MPAR is potentially a first-in-class agent designed to treat severe pain while not only reducing the ability to abuse for recreational purposes but also to provide protection from overdose. The results showed that our patented technology MPAR, which ‘switches off' the active drug release, can limit delivery when excess was consumed," said Ensysce CEO Lynn Kirkpatrick.
- Data showed that a 25 mg dose of PF614-MPAR, delivered oxycodone as intended for what may be a prescribed dose of one to two capsules, the company noted.
- In addition, Ensysce said that when giving three or more capsules simultaneously, the amount of opioid released and absorbed into the circulation diminished compared to the unprotected PF614, thus substantially reducing the risk of overdose.
- Ensysce noted that it is using its Multi-Pill Abuse Resistance (MPAR) and Trypsin Activated Abuse Protection (TAAP) platforms to potentially develop a tamper-resistant treatment option for pain which minimizes the risk of opioid drug abuse and overdose.