SCILEX Pharmaceuticals of Malvern, on target to market a new lidocaine patch, has just formed a four-member scientific advisory board.

The two-year-old emerging specialty pharmaceutical firm recently raised $5 million in a private stock deal according to The Philadelphia Business Journal and is positioning itself to market Ztlido, a lidocaine patch for post-herpetic neuralgia.

The patch is being clinically tested and if approved, would compete with Lidoderm marketed by Endo of Malvern.  The patent for Lidoderm expires next year.

SCILEX CEO Anthony Mack said board members Dr. Jeff Gudin, Dr. Charles Argoff, Dr. Srinivas Nalamachu and Kip Vought will assist in developing and marketing more products.

“The collective experience of our scientific advisory board will help us produce best-in-class products for the treatment of pain, and stay ahead of industry competition,” Mack said.

Dr. Gudin is a pain management expert.  For the past 14 years, he was been director of pain management and palliative care at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, a Mt. Sinai University School of Medicine teaching affiliate in New Jersey. He is active in teaching and research, and has lectured internationally.

Dr. Argoff is professor of neurology at Albany Medical College and director of the Comprehensive Pain Center at Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y.  He specializes in pain management and chronic headache treatment and is also president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine Foundation.

Dr. Nalamachu has 20 years of experience in pain management and physical medicine, and has done extensive industry research and consulting. He is president and medical director at the International Clinical Research Institute and co-director of the Pain Management Institute in Overland Park, Kan. In the academic field, he is a clinical assistant professor at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Kansas.

Vought has more than 20 years of regulatory experience in drug development in U.S. and international markets. Since 2003, Vought has been vice-president of Regulatory Affairs and Strategic Development for Regulus Pharmaceutical Consulting and Clinipace Worldwide. He has taken multiple products to market.

Links:   http://www.scilexpharma.com/