TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Afferent Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class, small molecule compounds that target P2X3 receptors, today announced preclinical in vivo results demonstrating that an investigational P2X3 receptor antagonist reduced experimentally induced bladder hyperactivity. P2X3 receptors are preclinically well-validated targets, highly specific to unmyelinated, C fiber afferent nerves that have dense innervations in visceral organs, skin and joints. These small diameter fibers transmit sensations of pain, tissue injury and irritation via mechanisms that include ATP signaling. P2X3-containing fibers have been broadly implicated for treating chronic inflammatory, visceral and neuropathic pain. Results from the study were presented in a poster session at the 2010 Joint Annual Meeting of the International Continence Society and the International Urogynecological Association in Toronto, Canada.
