The Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) class is present in virtually every household and first aid kit. However, widely-popular drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen have issues concerning their gastrointestinal safety, leading to an increased risk of gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeds.
The company Antibe Theraputics are developing a drug derivative of naproxen, called Otenaproxesul, that has been shown to reduce the risk of gastric ulcers in trials when compared to its parent drug. The trials of the company also bring hope to the drug’s retained ability to reduce pain through the inhibition of COX-2 like other NSAIDs.
Antibe Theraputics has announced their clearance of their Investigational New Drug (IND) application by the FDA on March 29, 2021 (1). The company has been authorized by the FDA to proceed with their clinical program of the drug as a treatment for osteoarthritis, and is scheduled to enter Phase III in the later half of 2021.
By: Pavle Mihajlovic