Sparian Biosciences Awarded Five-Year NIH/NDA Grant for Development of SBS-518

Sparian Biosciences announced on Aug. 8, 2023 that it has been awarded a $19 million, five-year grant to fund development of SBS-518 from investigational new drug (IND) submission through Phase I clinical development.

According to the press release, SBS-518 is a first-in-class dual sigma receptor (SR) antagonist/dopamine transporter (DAT) inhibitor in development for the treatment of stimulant use disorder (StUD). Further, StUD is a subset of substance use disorders, including cocaine and methamphetamine use disorders.

In pre-clinical efficacy assays, SBS-518 blocks the stimulant induced rise in extra-cellular dopamine and blocks cocaine and methamphetamine self-administration without itself producing self-rewarding behavior, according to the press release. Additionally, dopamine active transporters, or DAT, have been proven to be an indefinable target for therapeutics.

“Sparian was founded to develop innovative therapeutics to treat CNS disorders, particularly pain and substance use disorders,” said Jeff Reich, MD, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, in a press release. “StUD presents a major unmet medical and public health need for which there are currently no approved therapies. If we can successfully advance SBS-518 into the clinic, it could represent a significant step forward in the treatment of substance use disorders.”

This grant is the third NIH/NIDA grant that Sparian has received, and the company has been awarded a total of $41 million in government grants to support 3 programs. It was awarded by NIH/NIDA under the Help End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) initiative. Its lead program, SBS1000, is now in Phase 1 clinical trials, and the dual mu opioid receptor, SBS-226, is in development for opioid use disorder (OUD).

“We are extremely proud of the ongoing support we have received from NIDA,” Reich said in a press release. “NIDA, through the HEAL initiative, has sparked a new wave of innovation and entrepreneurship dedicated to the treatment of substance use disorders. Sparian, along with our academic partners, is honored to be a trusted collaborator.”

Source: Sparian Biosciences