Neuropathix

What Neuropathix does

Neuropathix, Inc. (OTCQB: NPTX; formerly Kannalife, Inc., rebranded November 2020) is a pre-commercial biopharmaceutical company founded in 2010 and headquartered at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center in Doylestown, PA. The company develops a pipeline of synthetic cannabinoid-inspired New Chemical Entities (NCEs) targeting inflammation, neuropathic pain, neurodegeneration and oxidative stress. Its lead asset, KLS-13019, is a first-in-class, globally patented synthetic CBD analogue designed to act through dual mechanisms — GPR55 receptor antagonism (anti-inflammatory, including NLRP3 inflammasome suppression) and mitochondrial NCX-1 regulation (neuroprotection) — with reported preclinical advantages of up to 200X potency, 10X bioavailability (67% oral), 5X safety margin and reversal (not just prevention) of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Secondary candidates include KLS-13023 for hepatic encephalopathy and KLS-13022/LEA™ (trademarked Atopidine™) for OTC cosmeceutical applications.

Operations are conducted through two wholly owned subsidiaries: Kannalife Sciences, Inc. (drug R&D, holds license to NIH U.S. Patent 6,630,507 from 2012-2019) and Dermique Incorporated (formed August 2021, OTC cosmeceutical commercialization). The company has secured 25 patents worldwide covering the U.S., 16 EU countries, Canada, Australia, Japan, Russia, China and India. Funding is non-dilutive and grant-led, including a three-year $2.97 million NIH NINDS/HEAL Initiative Phase 2 STTR grant (2021) for KLS-13019 development in CIPN and a $1.49 million Michael J. Fox Foundation grant (2024) for Parkinson's research. Neuropathix has no approved products or commercial revenue; the disclosed balance sheet shows approximately $300K cash and an accumulated deficit exceeding $14 million as of July 2021. The company is led by co-founder Dean Petkanas (Chairman & CEO) and William A. Kinney, PhD (CSO), supported by a scientific advisory board including Dr. Tage Honoré (AMPA receptor discoverer) and Dr. Daniele Piomelli (415 publications, Editor-in-Chief of Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research). Strategic CMC partner Purisys supports commercial-scale manufacturing readiness for KLS-13019.

Name

Neuropathix

Legal name

Neuropathix, Inc.

Website

https://neuropathix.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Neuropathix is a pre-commercial biopharmaceutical company developing synthetic cannabinoid-inspired New Chemical Entities — lead asset KLS-13019 targets chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain — through wholly owned subsidiaries Kannalife Sciences and Dermique Incorporated.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biopharmaceuticals

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Neurology & CNS Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Neurology & Psychiatry (CNS) Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAF), Rare Neurology & Neurodegenerative Disorder Therapies (HLAIAIAD)

Keywords

• Cannabinoid therapeutics
• Biopharmaceutical drug development
• Neuropathic pain treatment
• Anti-inflammatory therapeutics
• Synthetic CBD analogues

Headquarters

HQ city

Doylestown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Sales: Pre-commercial. Company is developing drug candidates KLS-13019, KLS-13023, and KLS-13022 through clinical development toward FDA approval for prescription drug sales.
2. OTC Cosmeceutical Products: Dermique Incorporated subsidiary developing and commercializing over-the-counter cosmeceutical products including LEA™ for skin care applications. Near-term revenue driver targeting global cosmeceutical market.
3. Licensing Royalties: Kannalife Sciences previously held exclusive license from NIH-OTT for U.S. Government Patent 6,630,507 'Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprotectants' for Hepatic Encephalopathy and CTE indications.
4. Grant Funding: $2.97 million NIH Phase 2 STTR grant (NINDS/HEAL Initiative) for KLS-13019 development in neuropathic pain; $1.49 million MJFF grant for Parkinson's research. Non-dilutive funding supporting preclinical development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Neuropathix is a pre-commercial biopharmaceutical company researching and developing a pipeline of novel cannabinoid-inspired New Chemical Entities (NCEs) targeting neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain. Its lead asset, KLS-13019, is a globally patented synthetic CBD analogue designed to prevent and reverse chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), with secondary compounds KLS-13023 for hepatic encephalopathy and LEA™/Atopidine™ for OTC cosmeceutical skin care applications.

Product overview

Neuropathix is a biopharmaceutical company developing a pipeline of next-generation cannabinoid-inspired therapeutics. The company's product portfolio centers on its lead clinical compound KLS-13019, a first-in-class synthetic CBD analogue for treating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and other neuropathic pain conditions. Secondary compounds include KLS-13023 for hepatic encephalopathy and KLS-13022/LEA™ (Atopidine™) for OTC cosmeceutical applications. Operations are conducted through wholly owned subsidiaries including Kannalife Sciences (drug discovery) and Dermique Incorporated (cosmeceuticals), with research located at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center in Doylestown, PA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dermique: Wholly owned subsidiary focused on OTC cosmeceutical ingredients and products, including LEA for skin care applications.
• LEA (Limonenyldihydroxybenzyl Ethoxycarbonyl Azetidine)
• KLS-13019
• KLS-13023
• KLS-13022

Products and services

• KLS-13019 First-in-class New Chemical Entity (NCE) and globally patented synthetic CBD analogue with 67% oral bioavailability, designed to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and treat chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), opioid use disorder, Parkinson's disease, and refractory colon cancer via dual mechanism (GPR55 antagonism and mitochondrial NCX-1 regulation).
• KLS-13023 Oral gelcap compound designed to target neurotoxicity caused by ammonia and ethanol in the brain for treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE); demonstrated 50x more potency than CBD in protecting hippocampal neurons from oxidative stress associated with liver failure.
• LEA™ (Atopidine™) Patented anti-inflammatory OTC cosmeceutical compound (Limonenyldihydroxybenzyl Ethoxycarbonyl Azetidine, INCI; trademarked as Atopidine™ for topical use) shown to outperform CBD and tacrolimus in preclinical studies for skin inflammation, itch, and burn relief.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 200X more potent than CBD in preclinical studies
• +11 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Sai Life SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Biotech Pitch Day 2026 event where Neuropathix was recognized as finalist along with Block Biosciences and Zena Therapeutics. Opportunity for collaboration and access to Sai Life Sciences' integrated drug discovery platform.
• University of Würzburg (Prof. Dr. Med. Chi Wang Ip)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2024Research partner collaborating with Neuropathix subsidiary Kannalife Sciences on Parkinson's disease research funded by MJFF. Prof. Ip contributed to study protocol development for KLS-13019 in PD.
• Atuka Inc. (Tom H. Johnston, PhD)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2024Research partner collaborating on Parkinson's disease research program. Dr. Johnston contributed to study protocol development for KLS-13019 preclinical research in PD models.
• PurisyscoreTechnology or Integration · 17 November 2021Process optimization and scale-up partnership for lead drug candidate KLS-13019. Purisys provides CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) expertise for commercial-scale manufacturing. Selected to support first leg of commercial scale-up in 2022.
• Temple University Lewis Katz School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2021Collaborative research partnership with Dr. Sara Jane Ward's laboratory at Temple University's Center for Substance Abuse Research. Dr. Ward serves as Principal Investigator on NIH-funded studies and member of Kannalife's Advisory Board. Joint preclinical studies on KLS-13019 for CIPN and pain management. Research supported by NIH since 2014.
• Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC)coreOthersNonprofit life sciences incubator-accelerator providing state-of-the-art laboratory and office space to Neuropathix and subsidiaries Kannalife Sciences and Dermique. Located in Doylestown, PA in the Philadelphia-New Jersey pharma belt. PABC staff assisted with NIH grant applications.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MediciNova: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing MN-166 (ibudilast) for neuropathic pain, CIPN, and neurodegenerative diseases. Highly comparable in therapeutic focus (neuropathic pain, CIPN), stage of development, and clinical indication overlap with Neuropathix's KLS-13019.
• Anavex Life Sciences: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for Alzheimer's, Rett syndrome, Parkinson's, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Comparable as a small-cap CNS-focused biotech targeting similar neurological indications and pre-commercial stage.
• Axim Biotechnologies: Pre-clinical and clinical-stage company developing cannabinoid-based therapeutics for multiple sclerosis, pain, and other indications. Directly comparable as a small-cap cannabinoid-inspired therapeutics company with similar pre-commercial pipeline and OTCQB listing profile.
• Zynerba Pharmaceuticals: Develops transdermal cannabinoid therapeutics for Fragile X syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and other CNS conditions. Directly comparable as a small-cap cannabinoid-inspired therapeutics company with similar pre-commercial CNS pipeline strategy.
• Tonix Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage CNS specialty pharmaceutical company developing therapies for migraine, PTSD, fibromyalgia, and other neurological conditions. Comparable as a small-cap CNS innovator pharma with pre-commercial pipeline and similar fundraising profile.

Broad incumbents

• Marinus Pharmaceuticals: Commercial-stage CNS specialty pharmaceutical company developing ganaxolone for seizures and rare epilepsies (FDA-approved Ztalmy). Comparable as a CNS specialty biopharma targeting rare neurological conditions with similar strategic positioning.
• Jazz Pharmaceuticals (formerly GW Pharmaceuticals): Jazz acquired GW Pharmaceuticals in 2021 for $7.2B, establishing the leading cannabinoid-derived pharmaceutical franchise (Sativex, Epidiolex). Comparable as a pioneer in cannabinoid-inspired CNS therapeutics with proven FDA-approved products, though much larger and more diversified than Neuropathix.
• Cara Therapeutics: Commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing opioid receptor modulators for pruritus and neuropathic pain. Comparable therapeutic focus on neuropathic pain and CNS indications, though at a more advanced stage with FDA-approved product (KORSUVA).
• Sage Therapeutics: CNS specialty pharmaceutical company developing neuroactive steroids for depression, epilepsy, and other CNS conditions. Comparable as a CNS-focused specialty biopharma, though much larger and at a more advanced commercial stage (Zulresso, Zurzuvae).
• Applied Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for rare diseases including Galactosemia and diabetic cardiomyopathy. Comparable as a small-to-mid-cap specialty CNS/rare disease biotech with innovator pharmaceutical positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/neuropathix
• Facebookfacebook.com/neuropathix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neuropathix

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Neuropathix