In 2018, a startup company named Neurocarrus designed a drug that aims to counter pain without the adverse effects of the opioid. Paul Blum and Benjamin Pavlik, founders of the Nebraska-born biotech company, had strived to develop a drug from opioids called N-001. This drug, which they worked on for seven years, is mainly purposed to treat severe and chronic pain without the detrimental effects of the opium poppy plant.

According to Blum, their drug can provide “significant contributions to the opioid epidemic,” which is the misuse of the drug despite concerning negative consequences, including death. “I think that our drug may do a better job to relieve pain than opioids,” Blum added.

The addictive properties of opioids are mainly considered to be the catalyst of the epidemic’s spread, which, according to Blum, “is getting worse.” Opioids do not only alleviate pain, but they also trigger feelings of pleasure among users, making them extremely addictive—the larger intake of opioids, the more exposure to overdose. 

“Almost five people die every hour in America because they overdose on prescription medications,” Blum said.

How N-001 was hoped to turn the tides

According to Pavlik, the primary catalyst for the development of N-001 was the lack of pain treatments that are similar to the capabilities of opioid minus the addictive effects. “Doing drug development is one of the hardest things that there is… that’s one of the things that keep me going,” he said.

IndieBio, a life sciences startup, invested $250,000 for the benefit of Neurocarrus. “We see the effects of drug addiction and mental illness every single day,” said Arvind Gupta, who believes that Neurocarrus has the potential to provide a solution to the opioid epidemic.

How N-001 was believed to be different from the others

Many companies, along with Neurocarrus, were conducting various research in attempts to come up with a safe alternative to opioids. One company, in particular, Nektar Therapeutics showed promising results in a test that involved using opioids “designed to provide potent pain relief without the inherently high levels of euphoria.” This method, however, is similar to the effects of existing types of opioids, namely, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl. They expose vulnerable parts of the body and brain to the negative effects since they are present in the patient’s bloodstream.

N-001 was believed to be an innovative solution that doesn’t work the same way. According to Blum, their drug was not intended to affect the whole body, especially not the brain. “Treat the pain, not the brain,” explained Blum, emphasizing the Neurocarrus slogan. N-001 was intended to work as a localized treatment and will only be applied in parts where the pain is existent.

“I think we’re in a position to do a lot of good for people, and society,” Pavlik said. “The road is long and difficult, and I think that we’re a team to take this thing forward because we both believe in the mission, and it’s as simple as that.”

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