Metrion Biosciences Launches High-Throughput NaV1.9 Screening Assay to Accelerate Non-Opioid Pain Therapeutics Research
Metrion Biosciences (“Metrion”), a leading specialist preclinical contract research organisation (CRO) and globally recognised expert in ion channel research services, today announced the launch of its newly validated, high-throughput NaV1.9 screening assay. This important addition to Metrion’s service offering is designed to support the discovery and development of innovative pain therapeutics, particularly those targeting non-opioid mechanisms of action.
Building on over a decade of electrophysiology and ion channel expertise, Metrion’s NaV1.9 assay provides researchers with a powerful new tool to overcome longstanding challenges in NaV1.9 research. The assay, alongside Metrion’s bespoke suite of ion channel screening services and comprehensive pain research capabilities, delivers reproducible, decision-ready data designed to accelerate drug discovery pipelines.
Addressing an Unmet Need in Pain Research
NaV1.9 is a voltage-gated sodium channel found predominantly in peripheral sensory neurons. It plays a critical role in the transmission of pain signals, particularly in conditions such as chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Genetic mutations in NaV1.9 have been linked to rare human disorders characterized by either extreme pain sensitivity or, conversely, complete insensitivity to pain. These findings underscore NaV1.9’s promise as a novel, non-opioid target for pain management therapies.
Despite its potential, the development of NaV1.9-targeted therapeutics has been significantly hampered by technical challenges. Chief among them is the difficulty in establishing stable, high-quality heterologous expression systems for NaV1.9, a requirement for reliable screening assays. Until now, these barriers have limited progress, slowing the pace of innovation and keeping much-needed non-opioid pain therapies out of reach for millions of patients.
Recognising these challenges, Metrion invested significant time and resources into developing a stable, validated NaV1.9 assay system. The result is a robust, high-throughput screening platform specifically optimised to deliver high-quality, reproducible data that can drive more confident, efficient drug development decisions.
Advancing Preclinical Drug Discovery
Metrion’s NaV1.9 assay was engineered using a carefully validated CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) cell line, offering low variability and high reproducibility across studies. It is available using both human-derived and rat-derived NaV1.9 clones, enabling researchers to explore species-specific pharmacological effects — a key factor when bridging preclinical findings to clinical outcomes.
This new capability significantly strengthens Metrion’s already comprehensive suite of efficacy and safety screening assays. With the addition of NaV1.9, Metrion now offers full sodium channel profiling across the entire range of pain-relevant NaV isoforms, from NaV1.1 through NaV1.9. This positions the Company as a one-stop partner for companies and researchers working to develop next-generation pain therapies.
Beyond NaV1.9, Metrion’s screening capabilities include extensive off-target counter screens covering other ion channels relevant to pain and neuroscience. This includes a CiPA (Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay) panel to assess cardiac safety risks early in the development process, an essential step in de-risking drug candidates before clinical trials.
To support projects across various stages of the drug discovery pipeline, Metrion offers both manual patch-clamp-based mechanistic assays and automated high-throughput electrophysiology on the Qube 384 platform. This dual approach enables clients to screen large libraries rapidly while still obtaining highly detailed mechanistic insights when needed.
In addition, Metrion provides tailored support for hit-to-lead and lead optimisation programs, further streamlining the path from initial compound identification to development candidate selection. These integrated services can substantially reduce project timelines and R&D costs, improving the overall efficiency of preclinical drug discovery programs.
Industry Perspectives
Commenting on the launch, Dr Eddy Stevens, Chief Scientific Officer at Metrion Biosciences, highlighted the significance of this achievement:
“The availability of effective assays to study the NaV1.9 sodium channel has been a major stumbling block that has held back development of the next generation of non-opioid pain therapeutics,” said Dr Stevens. “Metrion is now able to offer a unique combination of sodium channel expertise, high-throughput screening solutions and research services that cover the full suite of pain-related sodium channels. By facilitating streamlined compound evaluation and accelerated lead optimisation, this service offering has the potential to bring novel pain therapeutics to market rapidly and more cost-effectively.”
Dr Stevens further emphasised the broader impact of the new assay:
“This important launch represents a major milestone for Metrion, a testament to the dedication, innovation, and technical skill of our team. It reinforces our position at the forefront of ion channel drug discovery, providing our clients with world-class resources to unlock new therapeutic possibilities in pain management and beyond.”
Strategic Importance
The global burden of chronic pain remains a major public health issue, affecting over 1.5 billion people worldwide and representing a significant unmet clinical need. As concerns around opioid addiction and related adverse effects continue to rise, there is increasing urgency to identify and develop safer, non-opioid pain treatments.
Sodium channels, and particularly NaV1.9, have emerged as highly attractive targets in this pursuit. However, technical challenges have slowed research progress across the industry. Metrion’s new high-throughput NaV1.9 assay directly addresses these barriers, offering researchers and pharmaceutical developers a validated, reliable tool to investigate NaV1.9 modulators and move promising candidates forward with greater speed and confidence.
Looking ahead, Metrion plans to continue expanding its ion channel assay portfolio to meet evolving client needs. The Company’s ongoing investments in advanced screening technologies, in-house cell line development, and translational research services are intended to further enhance its ability to deliver best-in-class support across multiple therapeutic areas.
By combining scientific excellence, technological innovation, and a strong focus on customer collaboration, Metrion Biosciences aims to play a leading role in the next wave of ion channel-targeted drug discovery, ultimately helping to bring safer and more effective medicines to patients around the world.
