Flex Pharma Demonstrates Single Agent Efficacy And Dose Response In Reducing Human Muscle Cramps

-- Presentation at the Society for Neuroscience --

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Click to Tweet this News

“Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and transient receptor potential ankyrin-1 (TRPA1) activators reduce human muscle cramping”

Flex Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLKS), a biotechnology company developing innovative and proprietary treatments for exercise-associated muscle cramps, nocturnal leg cramps, and spasms associated with severe neuromuscular conditions, announced today that it will present data demonstrating GMP-synthesized single agent efficacy and a dose response in significantly reducing human muscle cramp intensity in its electrically induced cramp model at the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago, IL today at 2:00pm ET.

The abstract titled, “Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and transient receptor potential ankyrin-1 (TRPA1) activators reduce human muscle cramping,” will be presented by Glenn Short, Ph.D., Senior Director of Research at Flex Pharma. An exploratory analysis of two concentrations of FLX-787, a GMP-synthesized single agent agonist of TRPA1 and TRPV1, demonstrated an increase in the human cramp inhibition effect size at the higher concentration consistent with significant dose-response efficacy (p<0.01).

“These results suggest that both the single agent molecules and the doublet combinations are efficacious at decreasing cramp intensity in a potentially dose-responsive manner,” said Tom Wessel, M.D., Flex Pharma Chief Medical Officer. “Along with the recent demonstration of enhanced efficacy with GMP-synthesized single agent and doublet combinations compared to the original proprietary formulation, our product development efforts continue to advance.”

“Taken together, these data demonstrate the utility of Flex Pharma’s proprietary products to treat cramps and the general strategy of chemical neuro stimulation to potentially limit alpha-motor neuron hyperexcitability in other neurological diseases,” commented Nobel laureate and Flex Pharma Scientific Co-Founder and Scientific Advisory Board Co-Chair, Rod MacKinnon, M.D.

About Flex Pharma

Flex Pharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company that is developing innovative and proprietary treatments for exercise-associated muscle cramps, nocturnal leg cramps, and spasms associated with severe neuromuscular conditions. In three randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over studies, Flex Pharma’s proprietary treatment has shown a statistically significant reduction in the intensity of muscle cramps in healthy normal volunteers.

Flex Pharma was founded by National Academy of Sciences members Rod MacKinnon, M.D. (2003 Nobel Laureate), and Bruce Bean, Ph.D., recognized leaders in the fields of ion channels and neurobiology, along with Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D.

Individuals can follow the Company on Twitter (@flexpharma) and the Company’s website (http://ir.flex-pharma.com/) to see the latest progress of the Company’s pre-launch activities for its consumer product to prevent and treat exercise-associated muscle cramps.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: our expectations regarding potential drug and consumer product candidates, the design and timing of ongoing and anticipated clinical studies and our drug development progress. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: the status, timing, costs, results and interpretation of our clinical studies; the uncertainties inherent in conducting clinical studies; results from our ongoing and planned preclinical development; expectations of our ability to make regulatory filings and obtain and maintain regulatory approvals; results of early clinical studies as indicative of the results of future trials; the inherent uncertainties associated with intellectual property; and other factors discussed in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). You are encouraged to read our filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov, for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking statements that we make in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We assume no obligation to update our forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.