Artelo Biosciences, Inc. announced new research published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Pain. The research article, titled ?Discovery and preclinical evaluation of a novel inhibitor of FABP5, ART26.12, effective in Oxaliplatin-induced Peripheral Neuropathy,? highlights Artelo?s pre-clinical asset, ART26.12, and its potential ability to treat and prevent Oxaliplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (OIPN) in a series of separate studies.

ART26.12 is a Fatty Acid Binding Protein 5 (FABP5) inhibitor in development for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a type of neuropathic pain caused by chemotherapy as well as non-chemotherapy cancer treatments such as immunomodulating drugs. Oxaliplatin (OXA) is a commonly used platinum-based antineoplastic agent that causes oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) in up to 98% of patients treated with OXA, oftentimes resulting in treatment dose reduction, cessation of anti-cancer treatment prematurely, or can result in a painful persistent peripheral neuropathy even after chemotherapy is stopped. According to Coherent Market Insights, the global neuropathic pain market is estimated to be valued at $7.6 billion, demonstrating the need for an innovative therapy that has the potential to provide non-opioid pain relief.

Artelo has conducted multiple pre-clinical studies in painful neuropathies, including diabetic neuropathy, paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy, and OIPN, the latter two of which has no FDA-approved treatment. The Company previously reported a positive pre-IND (investigational new drug) meeting with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and anticipates filing the IND for ART26.12 in the first half of 2024. Fatty Acid Binding Proteins (FABPs) are a family of intracellular proteins that chaperone lipids including endocannabinoids and fatty acids.

FABP is overexpressed and associated with abnormal lipid signaling in a number of pathologies. ART26.12, Artelo?s lead FABP inhibitor, is a potent and selective inhibitor of FABP5 being developed as a novel, peripherally acting, non-opioid, non-steroidal analgesic, with an initial clinical study planned for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Beyond ART26.12, Artelo?s extensive library of small molecule inhibitors of FABPs have shown therapeutic promise for the treatment of certain cancers, neuropathic and nociceptive pain, and anxiety disorders.