23 March 2018 - - Novato, California-based Kalytera Therapeutics, Inc. (TSX Venture: KALY; OTCQB: KALTF) has begun development of a novel cannabinoid-based compound for the treatment of acute and chronic pain, the company said.

Patents for this compound have been filed in the US and other jurisdictions, and Kalytera has obtained an exclusive, worldwide license for this compound from Beetlebung Pharma, Ltd. (BPL), an Israeli-based pharmaceutical discovery company focused on cannabinoid-based therapeutics for the treatment of human disease.

Kalytera's compound consists of a cannabinoid conjugated with naproxen, a generic, non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug that is already approved for treatment of pain. Based on the potentially complementary mechanisms of action of the cannabinoid and naproxen, there is reason to believe these molecules may have a synergistic effect in treatment of pain, as well as a superior safety profile compared with opioid analgesics.

The objective of Kalytera's new programme is to develop a potent, non-psychotropic, oral analgesic for intractable pain that will be safe and well tolerated.

The cannabinoid component will act as a cannabinoid receptor agonist, targeting the alpha3 glycine pain receptor in the spinal cord, and the naproxen component will block the synthesis of the pain-inducing molecule PGE2. Although the initial route of administration will be oral, Kalytera will also seek to develop an intravenous formulation.

Kalytera seeks to establish a leading position in the development of novel cannabinoid medicines for a range of important unmet medical needs, with an initial focus on graft versus host disease and the treatment of acute and chronic pain.