CerSci Therapeutics

About CerSci Therapeutics

CerSci Therapeutics was a clinical-stage biotechnology company established to address the urgent need for non-opioid pain therapies. Founded in February 2015 by Lucas Rodriguez, Dr. Ted Price, and Dr. Gregory Dussor, the Dallas-based firm focused on developing treatments for both acute and chronic pain without the addictive properties associated with opioids. The venture originated at the University of Texas at Dallas, where Rodriguez, then a PhD candidate, developed a business plan based on the pain research of neuroscience professors Price and Dussor. Rodriguez's background in biomedical engineering and his entrepreneurial drive were pivotal in translating the academic research into a commercial entity, where he served as CEO.

The company's primary business was the research and development of a new generation of pain medications. Its business model centered on advancing drug candidates through the rigorous FDA clinical trial pipeline to prove their safety and efficacy, with the ultimate goal of commercialization or strategic acquisition. A significant milestone occurred in August 2016 when the company acquired the molecular compound CT-044, invented by medicinal chemist Dr. Scott Dax, who then joined CerSci as its Chief Scientific Officer. This acquisition shifted the company's focus to CT-044 as its lead program. The company successfully raised nearly $20 million from private investors and over $2 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health to fund its operations and research.

CerSci's lead product candidate, CT-044, was a first-in-class, orally available small molecule designed to work as a Radical Species Decomposition Accelerant (RSDAx). This mechanism targets and removes peroxynitrite, a key molecule involved in sensitizing neurons to pain, thereby disrupting pain signals at their source rather than interacting with opioid receptors in the brain. This approach offered the significant benefit of providing pain relief without the potential for addiction, cognitive impairment, or respiratory depression commonly seen with opioid treatments. The drug was being developed for acute post-operative pain and chronic conditions like painful diabetic neuropathy. A major achievement was receiving FDA notification in early 2019 to proceed with Phase I human safety and tolerability clinical trials for CT-044. In August 2020, CerSci Therapeutics was acquired by ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in a deal valued at an initial $52.5 million, with potential for up to $887 million in future milestone payments and royalties. This acquisition provided ACADIA with a promising non-opioid pain program to strengthen its pipeline for central nervous system disorders.