NOpioid

An opioid-strength pain medication without the risk of addiction.

About the Technology

Of the 105,000 drug overdose deaths in 2023, nearly 80,000 of them involved opioids. Often prescribed for post-surgical pain management, opioids can be an on-ramp to life-threatening addiction — up to 10% of opioid-naive patients develop a dependency after surgery. Powerful painkillers that don’t come with the risk of addiction are urgently needed.

Our next-generation pain therapeutic, the NOpioid (non-addictive opioid), delivers opioid-level analgesia without the risk of dependence and addiction. Developed by the pioneering team at the Purdon and Angst Labs, the NOpioid essentially turns off opioid-induced reward signalling while maintaining pain relief, providing analgesia without addiction. In tests, the NOpioid provides similar levels of pain relief as traditional opioids at similar doses with an excellent safety profile.

We are currently completing a Phase IIa clinical trial in humans, and along with the HIT Fund hope to participate in an FDA pre-IND meeting to facilitate Investigational New Drug status for the NOpioid. Next, we’ll finalize formulation, regulatory documentation, and reimbursement strategy, and create a roadmap to successful startup fundraising.

Team Members