In the first two cohorts of healthy volunteers, the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and optimal formulation of the candidate compound will be evaluated during a placebo controlled dose escalation.
In the third cohort of healthy volunteers, exploratory pharmacodynamic end points will be evaluated.
Pfizer will continue to fund clinical studies, continuing research, preclinical development efforts at Icagen on collaboration sodium channel targets.
Pfizer has exclusive rights to commercialise products that are developed as a result of the collaboration, while Icagen is eligible to receive milestones and tiered royalties on the basis of product sales for each product under the collaboration.
Icagen CEO P Kay Wagoner said the company is delighted to initiate Phase I clinical studies of its potent and subtype-selective Nav1.7 compound, in collaboration with Pfizer.
"This marks another important milestone in our development of subtype-selective sodium channel blockers, which we believe represent a promising approach for the treatment of pain and related disorders," Wagoner said.