NeurAxon: No NO pain
While the triptan class of marketed migraine drugs are effective, they are associated with cardiovascular side effects and do not address the development of central hypersensitivity common in migraine patients, which may limit the drugs' therapeutic window. NeurAxon Inc. thinks the mechanism of its compounds, which selectively inhibit the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase, will address these shortcomings.
Neuronal NOS (nNOS) generates nitric oxide (NO) in the vasculature, which improves contractility and plays a multifunctional role in the modulation of many neurotransmitter systems, including serotonin, glutamate and dopamine. However, excess NO in the CNS has been implicated in painful conditions such as migraine, nerve injury and neuropathic pain, according to CEO Lawrence Bloch...