An effective treatment for the debilitating side effects of cancer chemotherapy is still, by many accounts, years away. But Cortex Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Irvine hopes that a little seed money will set the company on the long road toward a cure.
The National Cancer Institute recently awarded Cortex Pharmaceuticals a $49,000 grant so that it can begin studying ways to treat peripheral neuropathy, which affects more than 1 million Americans each year.
Peripheral neuropathy is a condition in which patients lose feeling in their hands, arms, feet and legs. Though there are several causes for the condition, chemotherapy for cancer is to blame for a large percentage of peripheral neuropathy cases.
Cortex scientists will seek to discover and develop drugs that block the effects of anti-cancer drugs on the nervous system.
The grant will provide $49,000 for the next six months. The company could ultimately receive more than $600,000 in grants.
