The contract, with a maximum value of $80m over a five-year period, is part of the NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative (HEAL Initiative) and falls under the Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain (PSPP).
This five-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a division of the NIH.
The HEAL Initiative is an NIH-wide effort launched in April 2018, aiming to accelerate scientific solutions to the crisis of opioid and stimulant use disorders and pain management.
The PSPP programme, integral to the HEAL Initiative, is designed to evaluate non-opioid assets through a series of established preclinical pain models.
The programme is open to a range of potential treatments including small molecules, biologics, devices, and natural products, submitted by researchers from academia and industry across the globe.
PsychoGenics has expertise in various scientific methods including behavioral testing, electrophysiology, and translational EEG.
The company also specialises in molecular biology, microdialysis, and quantitative immunohistochemistry. It provides a diverse array of rodent models supporting research in numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Its drug discovery platforms such as SmartCube, NeuroCube, PhenoCube, and eCube have been instrumental in shared risk partnerships with pharmaceutical companies sush as like Sunovion and Roche.
These collaborations have led to the discovery of several novel compounds that are now either in clinical trials or advanced preclinical development stages.
PsychoGenics president and CEO Emer Leahy said: “There is a tremendous need for treatments that mitigate the risks associated with opioid use for the millions of people in the US who experience acute and chronic pain.
“The renewal of this contract reflects the ongoing commitment and continued dedication of the NIH to finding and advancing innovative therapies for pain.”