Dr Michael Bowen is co-founder and Head of Translational Science for Kinoxis Therapeutics. Photo: Stefanie Zingsheim

Kinoxis Therapeutics has been awarded a grant for a potential of up to $US4.6 million ($6.8 million) under the USA National Institutes of Health Helping to End Addiction Long-Term, or the NIH HEAL Initiative. The primary target of Kinoxis is the brain oxytocin system, which receives considerable interest for its role in the regulation of social behaviour and inhibitory effects on addictive behaviours.

Out of 375 funding grants awarded under the HEAL Initiative, Kinoxis Therapeutics’ grant is the only one received outside North America.

The funding from the NIH HEAL Initiative is to further develop the company’s lead compound, KNX100, for the treatment of opioid withdrawal. KNX100 is a drug that was discovered by researchers at the University of Sydney that is being commercialised by Kinoxis Therapeutics. Dr Michael Bowen of the Brain and Mind Centre and School of Psychology at the University of Sydney and Head of Translational Science for Kinoxis Therapeutics is the scientific lead principal investigator on the grant. Professor Iain McGregor, also of the Brain and Mind Centre and School of Psychology, is a principal investigator.

The grant will provide a potential of up to $US4.6 million over four years to support the pre-clinical and clinical development of KNX100 for the treatment of opioid withdrawal. Opioid withdrawal is the state of severe physical and mental distress that rapidly emerges when someone stops using opioids or tries to cut down.

Preventable deaths

Opioid overdose is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the USA, killing more people than motor vehicle accidents. In Australia, opioids accounted for just over three deaths a day in 2018 and were linked to more than half of the drug induced deaths across the country. Poor management of opioid withdrawal is a major contributor to the development and maintenance of harmful opioid use.

KNX100 is a small molecule therapeutic drug candidate being developed by Kinoxis to treat opioid-use disorder as well as a range of other substance use disorders and central nervous system disorders.