Mira Pharmaceuticals reports preclinical data on topical Ketamir-2

MIRA Pharmaceuticals (MIRA) announced new preclinical data showing that its topical Ketamir-2 cream delivered similar and consistent pain relief compared with injected morphine in a validated animal model of acute and inflammatory pain. In the study, Ketamir-2 cream was applied topically to the affected area 30 minutes before pain was induced using the formalin model, a widely accepted preclinical method for evaluating both acute and inflammatory pain. In this model, a small amount of formalin is injected into the paw, producing two well-characterized phases of pain: an initial acute phase driven by direct nerve activation, followed by a prolonged inflammatory phase associated with central sensitization. Researchers monitored spontaneous pain-related behaviors-specifically paw licking and paw lifting-using AI-assisted video analysis of 5-minute slots over a 60-minute period. Topical Ketamir-2 was effective as Injected morphine in both phases, nearly eliminating pain behaviors during the acute phase and maintaining a strong, durable effect throughout the inflammatory phase. These results indicate Ketamir-2’s potential to modulate both peripheral and central pain pathways with topical, localized delivery. Unlike systemic analgesics, which circulate throughout the body and may cause unwanted side effects, Ketamir-2’s topical formulation is designed to provide direct, localized pain relief with minimal systemic exposure. Its performance across both acute and inflammatory pain phases supports a broad therapeutic profile-potentially applicable to conditions such as diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, and osteoarthritis.