The grant will fund medicinal chemistry for proprietary compounds that interact with NMUR2 AND Omeros will retain ownership of any compound developed with the assistance of this NIDA grant.
NMUR2 is a non-orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) linked to pain.
Drugs that target NMUR2 could manage pain without the risk of addiction or other negative side effects, the company said.
Omeros chairman and CEO Gregory Demopulos said a non-addictive analgesic with pain-relieving capabilities equal to that of opioids would represent a major advance in the field of pain management.