Guangzhou Fermion Technology Co., Ltd. (Fermion), a China-based clinical-stage AI-based drug discovery company that specializes in developing drugs for autoimmune diseases and pain, announced on Wednesday that it has received approval from China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its non-addictive pain relief drug FZ008-145.

The company says that the product is a highly selective second-generation Nav1.8 inhibitor, providing powerful, non-addictive pain relief advantages. Presently, the Nav1.8 target has received clinical data validation for five acute pain and one chronic pain proof-of-concept (POC) studies.

During October 2023, Fermion entered into a contract with Joincare Pharmaceutical Group Industry Co., Ltd., granting exclusive rights for the firm's independently developed pain medication FZ008-145 in the Greater China region, while retaining rights outside Greater China.

Fermion founder and CEO, Dr. Deco Deng, said, 'In comparison to other therapeutic areas, the central nervous system (CNS) domain presents limited therapeutic options. Existing medications demand improvements in efficacy and safety, addressing substantial unmet clinical needs. Our dedicated research and development efforts, supported by our Drug Studio AI platform, have focused on enhancing target selectivity and tissue targeting to minimise off-target effects, enabling the development of innovative and safer drugs.'