Avera Pharmaceuticals

Neurovisceral disorders encompass a range of conditions arising from the interaction of the nervous system with the body's organ systems. Avera is currently developing AV608 for the treatment of both Overactive Bladder (OAB) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

OAB syndrome is diagnosed by the presence of urinary urgency (sudden, intense desire to urinate), with or without urge urinary incontinence (unwanted urine leakage occurring after urgency). Often these symptoms occur along with frequency (need to void more than 8 times per day) and nocturia (awakening more than twice per night to void). OAB has a significant impact on the quality of life of affected individuals, altering their daily routine, reducing sleep quality, and increasing their risk of anxiety. There is a clear unmet medical need for new pharmacological treatments for patients with OAB. Current management of OAB relies primarily on anticholinergic medications that provide symptom relief in approximately two thirds of patients. However, anticholinergics are associated with side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention and cognitive impairment. Limited efficacy and poor tolerability in some patients is associated with low treatment compliance, with only a minority of patients continued to be treated past six months.

Pain is an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience which is primarily associated with tissue damage or described in terms of tissue damage, or both. Pain is a complex perception that takes place only at higher levels of the central nervous system. Pain may be sharp or dull, intermittent or constant, or throbbing or steady. Sometimes pain is very difficult to describe. Pain may be felt at a single site or over a large area. The intensity of pain can vary from mild to intolerable.

There are 2 types of pain: acute and chronic. Acute pain doesn't last long and usually goes away as your body heals. Chronic pain lasts at least 6 months after your body has healed.

In cases where the pain pathology has no ability to heal despite medical or surgical therapy, interventional pain management takes on the form of "pain control." This can be done by using medications aimed at reducing the ability of the body to transmit the pain signal to the brain. There are also other strategies for controlling pain.