Nektar Therapeutics has dosed the first subjects in a Phase 1 clinical study of its NKTR-192 drug, designed for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain.

NKTR-192 is a short-acting mu-opioid analgesic candidate developed using the company’s polymer conjugation technology to slow drug entry into the central nervous system (CNS).

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

The single-dose Phase 1 clinical study is conducted at Lifetree Clinical Research, US, with the aim to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and safety of NKTR-192 in up to 36 healthy subjects.

The primary objective of the trial is to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of various dosages in humans in order to design future clinical studies for the compound.

In pre-clinical studies, NKTR-192 has shown the ability to reduce the euphoria that underlies opioid abuse and dependence, as well as other unwanted CNS side effects, such as sedation.

See Also:

Previous in vivo and in vitro studies reported that NKTR-192 showed onset of analgesic activity within five minutes, as well as a peak effect comparable to current opioids.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Nektar Therapeutics chief medical officer Robert Medve said NKTR-192 is a compelling new opioid molecule that has exceeded the company’s expectations in multiple preclinical studies.

"The drug candidate demonstrated a fast onset of analgesia, while at the same time showing greatly reduced abuse liability and sedation as compared to standard short-acting opioids," Medve added.

"NKTR-192 is an excellent addition to Nektar’s pain portfolio, and we look forward to evaluating this new mu-opioid analgesic molecule in the clinic."

The company has also completed Phase 1 clinical development of its drug NKTR-181, a long-acting mu-opioid analgesic for the treatment of chronic pain conditions, demonstrating sustained and dose-dependent analgesic responses. Nektar Therapeutics plans to advance NKTR-181 into Phase 2 clinical development in chronic pain patients this year.