6 May 2022 - - US-based non-addictive products developer Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRPX) has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the US Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) to evaluate Virpax's Probudur, an injectable long-acting liposomal bupivacaine in a hydrogel formulation that is injected at the wound site, the company said.

Probudur is being developed to significantly reduce or eliminate the need for opioids after surgery in approved indications.

Probudur is a local anesthetic that binds to the sodium channel, preventing pain signals from reaching the brain.

In pre-clinical trials, Probudur has shown long duration pain control for at least 96 hours. The USAISR is the US Department of Defense's primary laboratory for developing solutions for trauma and critical care challenges in combat casualties.

In August of 2020, Virpax entered into a CRADA with the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, an institute of the National Institutes of Health, for the development of Envelta, it's intranasal spray product candidate for severe post-cancer pain and non-cancer pain.

Under that agreement, multiple contracts to support the research, development, and manufacturing of Envelta have been awarded by the NIH to continue the product's progress.

Virpax is developing branded product candidates for non-addictive pain management and neurological disorders using its proprietary technologies to optimize and target drug delivery. Virpax is initially seeking FDA approval of its three patented drug delivery platforms.

MET technology is also used in AnQlar, Virpax's product candidate to inhibit viral replication caused by influenza or SARS-CoV-2.

Virpax recently acquired global rights to VRP324, a product candidate for the nasal delivery of a pharmaceutical-grade cannabidiol for the management of rare pediatric epilepsy.