Flex: Flexing muscle

Flex Pharma Inc. is developing an ion channel activator that could be the first therapeutic approved to treat nighttime leg cramps, and muscle cramps and spasticity associated with diseases like multiple sclerosis and spinal spasticity.

The sixth start-up of biotech entrepreneur Christoph Westphal, Flex is launching with $38 million in cash, clinical data showing proof of concept, and filed applications for method of use patents covering natural products that activate the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1; VR1) and transient receptor potential A1 (TrpA1) ion channels...