TDI's First Project Reaches Phase I Clinical Studies

TDI extends its congratulations to Dr. Jeff Reich, Annie Pasternak, and the entire team at Sparian Biosciences on achieving approval for Phase I Clinical studies with SBS-1000, a novel non-opioid pain reliever.

TDI launched its first projects in July 2014 and the very first of these was a project from the Pasternak Lab at MSK that addressed opioid addictions and related overdoses. Overuse of opioids has led to a true state of crisis in the U.S., it is estimated that over 2 million Americans have an opioid use disorder. Dr. Pasternak, having deep expertise in this area, identified a novel class of drugs that targeted a newly discovered receptor in the pain pathway. TDI scientists optimized the molecule that Dr. Pasternak discovered and independently confirmed that the compound, SBS-1000, achieved potent pain relief in animal models without the adverse side-effects of drugs like opioids (e.g., respiratory depression, abuse liability, physical dependence).

Showing great promise, SBS-1000 was licensed to Sparian Biosciences Inc., and on February 27, 2023, Sparian announced that this molecule has been approved for Phase I Clinical Studies by the FDA. Dr. Jeff Reich, founder of Sparian noted, “Sparian is grateful to the TDI for continued interest and support. The translation from the academic bench to the clinical bedside remains the engine of innovation for drug development.”

TDI is proud to have been part of the SBS-1000 story and is eager to witness Sparian’s continued success.