Cancer Pain

At present, the management of severe cancer pain generally includes the use of opiates.  This can often result in undesirable side effects, and treatment with this type of medication is not always effective.  Because currently available pain-relieving therapy is unsatisfactory for many patients, there is a need for new therapeutic approaches for the management of moderate or severe cancer pain.

Tetrodotoxin (Tectin™), is a highly selective sodium channel blocker extracted from the puffer fish.  Recent studies indicate that intramuscular (into a muscle) or subcutaneous (under the skin) injections of tetrodotoxin (Tectin) may reduce pain in cancer patients who did not respond to standard therapies. (1,2)

WEX is currently conducting two Phase III clinical trials of Tectin™ for moderate to severe inadequately controlled cancer-related pain to determine the effectiveness of subcutaneous (under the skin) tetrodotoxin treatment (Tectin) in improving pain outcome and improving the quality of life; and the safety of subcutaneous tetrodotoxin in treating pain:

TEC-006
A Multicentre, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Design Trial of the Efficacy and Safety of Subcutaneous Tetrodotoxin (Tectin™) for Moderate to Severe Inadequately Controlled Cancer-Related Pain

TEC-006OL
A Multicentre, Open-Label, Long-Term Efficacy and Safety Continuation Study of Subcutaneous Tetrodotoxin (Tectin™) for Moderate to Severe Cancer-Related Pain

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1: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 2007 Aug; 34(2): 171-182.

2: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 2008 Apr; 35(4): 420-429. Epub 2008 Feb 4.