PsychoGenics Inc. (PsychoGenics) today announced it has been awarded a contract by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to test and identify novel investigational therapeutics for the treatment of pain. The lack of safe and effective treatments to manage pain is a major public health problem. New treatments that can safely and effectively manage pain are urgently needed. This contract is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the NIH through the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative. The maximum value of the contract is $80 million over a 5-year ordering period. This contract is part of the NIH HEAL Initiative Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain (PSPP).

“There is a tremendous need for treatments that mitigate the risks associated with opioid use for the millions of people in the U.S. who experience acute and chronic pain,” said Emer Leahy, President and CEO of PsychoGenics. “The renewal of this contract reflects the ongoing commitment and continued dedication of the NIH to finding and advancing innovative therapies for pain.”

This 5-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is funded by NINDS of the NIH under contract number 75N95024D00038.

About the HEAL Initiative

The Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative, is an NIH-wide effort to speed scientific solutions to the overdose epidemic, including opioid and stimulant use disorders, and the crisis of pain. Launched in April 2018, the initiative is focused on improving prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction, and enhancing pain management. For more information, visit: https://heal.nih.gov.

About the PSPP Program

The PSPP program, part of the NIH HEAL Initiative, evaluates non-opioid assets in a battery of established preclinical pain models. The PSPP program accepts small molecules, biologics, devices, or natural products for evaluation, from researchers in academia and industry worldwide. For more information, visit: https://heal.nih.gov/research/preclinical-translational/screening-platform.

The content of this press release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

About PsychoGenics

PsychoGenics is a preclinical CRO with expertise in behavioral testing, electrophysiology, translational EEG, molecular biology, microdialysis and quantitative immunohistochemistry. The company offers a variety of rodent models that support research in pain and other areas such as Huntington’s disease, autism spectrum disorders, psychosis/schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), muscular dystrophy, ALS, and other disorders. PsychoGenics has also pioneered the translation of rodent behavioral responses into robust, high-throughput, and high content phenotyping. Its drug discovery platforms, SmartCube^®, NeuroCube^®, PhenoCube^® and eCube^® have been used in shared risk partnerships with major pharma companies such as Sunovion and Roche and has resulted in the discovery of several novel compounds now in clinical trials or advanced preclinical development. For more information on PsychoGenics Inc. visit www.psychogenics.com.

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