Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy affects up to 70% of cancer patients receiving certain regimens. The pain can persist for months or years after treatment ends. And the options? Gabapentin, duloxetine, and a lot of hoping it gets better on its own. For severe cases, opioids.
Dogwood Therapeutics has a different idea. The FDA accepted the company’s IND for SP16, an intravenously administered peptide originally developed by Serpin Pharma, to treat chemotherapy-induced pain and peripheral neuropathy. A Phase 1b trial, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is expected to start enrolling at the University of Virginia by mid-2026.
SP16’s mechanism attacks the problem from two directions. It reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TNF-α) while simultaneously promoting tissue repair through pAKT and pERK signaling. That dual pathway is what sets it apart from existing options that mostly mask the pain without addressing the underlying nerve damage.
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Dogwood isn’t a one-trick company either. They already have Halneuron, a subcutaneous sodium channel modulator, in a Phase 2 trial for chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain with 200 patients enrolled. So SP16 adds a second clinical-stage asset in the same therapeutic space but with a completely different mechanism and route of administration.
The NCI funding is a practical detail worth noting. It means Dogwood doesn’t have to burn equity capital on this Phase 1b, which for a company with a $26.8 million raise earlier this year, makes a real difference in runway.
Virginia-based. Non-opioid. Two mechanisms going after the same problem from different angles. And the government is picking up the tab for one of them. This is a clean story in a space that desperately needs new options.
