Expands potential benefit for treating neuropathic pain in cancer patients, particularly those experiencing weight loss due to cancer
Findings suggest broader utility in cancer supportive care, building on interim findings from CAReS Phase 2 clinical study which demonstrated improvements in body weight, lean body mass and activity levels
SOLANA BEACH, Calif., July 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Artelo Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARTL) ("Artelo" or the "Company), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on modulating lipid-signalling pathways to develop treatments for people living with cancer, pain, dermatologic, or neurological conditions, today announced promising results from nonclinical studies in neuropathic pain with ART27.13, the Company's proprietary peripherally restricted cannabinoid receptor agonist, currently in Phase 2 clinical development evaluating patients experiencing cancer-related anorexia cachexia syndrome (CACS).
To determine whether ART27.13 has the potential to address neuropathic pain in cancer patients, researchers at Artelo investigated its proprietary dual cannabinoid agonist in a nonclinical model of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy, a debilitating side effect that affects approximately 60%-80% of patients receiving paclitaxel1.
Results demonstrated that repeated dosing with ART27.13 reduced neuropathic pain-associated behaviors (mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia) in both male and female paclitaxel-treated animals, supporting further exploration of the compound in oncology supportive care settings.
"Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy can significantly affect patient quality of life and may limit cancer treatment adherence," said George Warren, Ph.D., lead scientist at Artelo Biosciences and presenter of the pain study results at the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) 2026 Annual Symposium recently held in Dijon, France. "The results observed in this model suggest that ART27.13 may have broader applications in cancer supportive care beyond CACS. We have incorporated several pain endpoints into the Cancer Appetite Recovery Study (CAReS) trial and, we look forward to reviewing these upon study completion to determine if the analgesic potential of ART27.13 in a cancer setting translates into the clinic."
CACS affects up to 80% of patients with advanced malignancies2 and is associated with reduced treatment tolerance, diminished physical functioning and poorer clinical outcomes. There are currently no FDA-approved treatment options available for CACS. ART27.13 is being evaluated in the CAReS and interim results also presented at ICRS demonstrated encouraging trends across several clinically meaningful endpoints, including improvements in body weight and lean body mass, increased activity levels, and favorable safety profile at doses up to 1300 µg/day.