Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

Persica Pharmaceuticals is treating the cause of chronic lower back pain, not just the symptoms

Labiotech Episode 154

The World Health Organization reports that more than 600 million people suffer from lower back pain globally, making it the leading cause of disability worldwide. 

Chronic lower back pain – where the pain persists for more than 3 months – develops in between 5 and 10% of all lower back pain cases, with life-altering impacts for patients.

And that’s where today’s guest, Steve Ruston, of Persica Pharmaceuticals comes in. Persica is developing a groundbreaking and transformative treatment for chronic Low Back Pain. Persica is targeting the cause of chronic lower back pain: the underlying bacterial infection. Unlike conventional approaches that manage symptoms, Persica’s drug enables the infection to clear, reducing inflammation, pain and disability at the source.

1:20     Introducing Steve Ruston of Persica Pharmaceuticals

3:53     Lessons learnt from developing blockbuster drugs

6:35     Global experiences in the biopharma industry

8:32     Persica Pharmaceuticals and its mission

10:26   Collaborations with a network of partners

11:48   A non-opioid approach to addressing lower back pain

13:35   Treating the cause, not the symptoms

15:05   How Persica’s treatment work

18:59   Practical impacts of Persica’s treatment

21:07   Identifying patients for cLBP treatment

23:24   How Persica is changing the treatment landscape

28:10   Regulatory hurdles to overcome

34:37   Securing funding for Persica’s innovation

36:16   The future of treating pain

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