Analgesics of the future: Purotoxin-6 (PT6 or FA006)

Main article: Pain

2025: Completion of preclinical trials

Analgesics of the Future, a Skolkovo resident, has completed preclinical tests of an analgesic based on a substance derived from the spider poison Thomisus onustus. The drug was called purotoxin-6 (PT6 or FA006). The estimated market launch date is 2029, potential coverage is more than 8 million patients with neuropathic pain. Skolkovo announced this on March 11, 2025.

The principle of action of the purotoxin is to inhibit special pain receptors (P2X3). They play a key role in causing pain in conditions such as osteoarthritis, cystitis, trigeminal neuralgia and migraine, as well as chronic cough.

As of March 2025, there is only one drug that acts on P2X3 receptors, which is registered in the EU, Switzerland and Japan. However, this drug has a side effect expressed in taste disorder (dysgeusia).

Natural poisons are peculiar combinatorial libraries of pharmacologically active substances aimed at neuroreceptors. They resemble artificial libraries that pharmaceutical companies use when looking for new drugs. Our peptide shows exceptional selectivity for P2X3 receptors, effectively affects them. We have demonstrated this in numerous trials -- on isolated sensitive neurons, on recombinant receptors, and with genetically altered or knockout mice. It is very important that FA006 does not cause dysgeusia, which means it can serve as a unique class of analgesics without a side effect, "said Alexander Vasilevsky, founder of the company, head of the laboratory at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences and head of research.

The resident product is a solution for subcutaneous injection manufactured as a multiple dose pen.

The development of technology to medicine in plays a key role in transforming approaches to treatment and improving the quality of life of patients. In particular, the development of this class of analgesics will increase the effectiveness of treatment, while minimizing side effects. On the part of the Fund, we are ready to provide comprehensive support in the development of our projects and the Russian one as pharmaceutical industries a whole, "said agriculture Alexey Pleskov, director of the Center for the Development of Technologies in Biology, Medicine and the Skolkovo Foundation.

"Analgesics of the Future" performed the entire range of preclinical studies of the FA006.

In addition to selectivity, FA006 exhibits other properties, such as duration of effect in animal experiments and stability, for example in blood plasma, uncharacteristic of most peptide compounds. The use of FA006 can be more effective, convenient and safe than the use of the existing arsenal of drugs for pain syndromes. In models of such syndromes, FA006 has shown high efficiency, and the completed preclinical studies show its high safety, "said Dmitry Poteryaev, CEO of the company.

In 2025, the resident plans to begin clinical trials. If successful, an analgesic agent will appear on the market that does not exhibit undesirable side effects, as well as a different structure and mechanism of action from all existing ones.