Ariel: Antagonizing pain

Although standard of care treatments raise safety concerns, along with high rates of non-responders, the pipeline for acute pain continues to be short on novel targets. Ariel Pharmaceuticals Inc. is developing an in-licensed PTGER4 antagonist for migraine and osteoarthritis that it believes could be safer than the standard of care in each condition and be effective in nonresponders.

Triptans are SOC in migraine. The molecules target and activate multiple serotonin (5-HT) receptors, which block the release of neuropeptides and constrict cerebral vessels. However, triptans also cause constrictive effects in coronary vessels, which limit their use in patients with underlying cardiac risk...