CIHR's Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction

Kiss Me Deadly: Turning Snail Venom into a Treatment for Chronic Pain

Basic research delivers commercial gain for Neuromed

Image of a cone snail

Finding
Intricately patterned but venomous cone snails from the South Pacific provided the inspiration for a new class of drugs that could spell relief of intense chronic pain suffered by millions of Canadians. A peptide in the snails' venom blocks pain receptors, preventing the brain from registering pain. A Vancouver-based research team has developed a new drug that treats pain by blocking N-type calcium channels located in the spinal cord - the channels play a major role in the nervous system and pain signaling.

Impact
This revolutionary new technology provides an alternative to highly addictive pain relievers such as morphine. In March 2006, Neuromed, a company founded to commercialize the technology, signed a licensing agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. worth potentially $475 million, the largest ever deal in Canada.

Team
Dr. Terry Snutch is a Professor, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, and founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Neuromed.