Local application
The formulation is being developed for application directly to the affected skin or wound area.
Research and Development Project
Drug Development · Local Pain Management
Opirexa™
Topical drug candidate for targeted local pain management
Opirexa™ is being developed as a topical drug candidate based on loperamide. The project investigates the potential to modulate pain signals directly in the treated skin or wound area while limiting systemic exposure.
Targeted local treatment
Peripheral mechanism of action
Topical application
About Opirexa
Local action where pain occurs
Opirexa™ is a pharmaceutical development project based on loperamide, a synthetic opioid used in approved oral medicines to treat diarrhoea through local action in the intestine.
Loperamide does not cross the blood-brain barrier.
Opioid receptors are also present in peripheral nerves and skin-related cells. This provides a scientific basis for investigating whether topically applied loperamide can influence pain signals directly in the treated area.
Developed for targeted application directly to the affected area.
Development principle
Designed for local and targeted treatment
Blood-brain barrier
Loperamide does not cross the blood-brain barrier.
Peripheral mechanism of action
The project is based on the presence of opioid receptors in peripheral nerves and skin-related cells.
Controlled development
Formulation, dosage, safety, local efficacy and the regulatory pathway need to be evaluated.
The Scientific Basis
Peripheral opioid receptors in skin and tissue
Opioid receptors are not limited to the central nervous system. They are also present in peripheral nerves, immune cells and skin-related cell types.
This means that receptors in the treated area may be relevant to the local modulation of pain signals without the treatment needing to target the brain.
Research has also investigated the potential role of opioid receptors in processes such as cell migration and wound healing. These mechanisms require further study within a controlled development program.
Potential Development Areas
Focus on localized skin- and wound-related pain
Opirexa™ is being evaluated as a potential topical treatment principle in areas where local pain control and external treatment may be relevant.
01Painful skin wounds
02Open and complex wounds
03Burns
04Abrasions and friction-related skin injuries
05Procedure-related skin pain
06Neuropathic pain in the skin
The listed areas are potential development areas and do not represent approved indications.
Research Status
An area in need of new local treatment options
Published research has investigated topical loperamide in conditions including neuropathic pain, procedure-related skin pain and painful skin wounds.
Local analgesic effects have been reported in limited studies and clinical descriptions. However, the available scientific evidence remains limited and the findings need to be confirmed in further controlled studies.
There are currently no approved medicines in which loperamide is routinely used for the treatment of skin conditions or wounds.
Safety and Drug Development
Being developed for external use
Topical use
The planned dosage form is being developed for application to the skin and not for oral, ophthalmic, injectable or other systemic use.
Systemic absorption
Absorption through the skin and damaged tissue may vary and needs to be evaluated within the preclinical and clinical development program.
Metabolism
Any loperamide absorbed systemically is primarily metabolized in the liver.
Product profile not yet established
Dose, strength, excipients, packaging, shelf life, safety and clinical efficacy have not yet been established.
Regulatory Status
Opirexa™ is not an approved medicine
Opirexa™ is in the research and development phase. The product's final formulation, strength, indications, dosage, clinical efficacy, safety profile and regulatory pathway have not yet been established.
Not an approved medicine
Auxesis Pharma's Pipeline
The next generation of local pain management
Opirexa™ is part of Auxesis Pharma's growing portfolio of topical drug candidates designed for targeted treatment directly where the problem occurs.
The information on this page describes an ongoing research and development project. It should not be interpreted as medical advice, approved product information or as an established claim regarding safety or efficacy.