Expesicor receives SBIR award from the National Institutes of Health's HEAL Initiative to develop an objective pain measurement tool

MISSOULA, Mont., Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Expesicor, a privately held, Montana-based company focused on preventing, treating, and curing neurological disorders, announced its participation in the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative or NIH HEAL Initiative. The Initiative takes an "all hands on deck" approach "to improve prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction and to enhance pain management." Expesicor has been awarded $407,654 over one year for a grant that allows the company to further develop a novel positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent, called EXP-1801, that enables the visualization and objective measurement of pain. This technology is applicable to both personalized pain treatment and the development of novel pain management therapies, such as non-opioid medications.

"We're honored to be part of the HEAL initiative," said Dr. Braxton Norwood, Principal Investigator and CEO of Expesicor. "Safe and effective therapies for pain management are lacking and misuse is far too common. We're confident that EXP-1801 will help improve pain treatment and contribute to the development of novel therapies with lower abuse potential."

As a clinical-stage company, Expesicor's pipeline includes projects ranging from preclinical to Phase II clinical trials. In addition to imaging agents, the company's assets include novel therapeutics and drug screening tools for neurological maladies including epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative disorders.

"This project closely aligns with Expesicor's mission to prevent, treat, and cure neurological disorders. EXP-1801 has broad potential to positively impact those living with pain-related disorders," said David Booth, COO of Expesicor. "EXP-1801 could become the first tool that enables healthcare providers to objectively measure pain."

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R43NS115294. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Forward-Looking Statement

This news release of Expesicor Inc (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful.

Contact: Expesicor, Inc. press@expesicor.com

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SOURCE Expesicor