John Hutchinson, PhD
Co-founder & Acting CEO
Medicinal chemist with a track record of advancing small-molecule therapeutics toward clinical development.
Non-opioid therapeutics
for neuropathic pain
A new approach
for painful
peripheral neuropathy.
Bahto Biosciences is developing small-molecule therapeutics designed to reduce neuroinflammation and restore function in peripheral neuropathy.
The unmet need
Millions live with debilitating neuropathic pain. Better options are urgently needed.
Painful peripheral neuropathy affects millions of people, including patients with diabetes, cancer, and other conditions. Current treatments often provide limited relief, can be associated with significant side effects, and do not address the underlying neuronal dysfunction.
Millions affectedThere are >19 million people in the US living with painful peripheral neuropathy
Limited efficacyCurrent standard of care (antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and opioids) has a 70–80% failure rate
Significant unmet needExisting drugs are designed to provide some symptomatic relief, not resolve the disease
Our science
A potential disease-modifying approach to neuropathic pain.
We are developing novel small-molecule therapeutics targeting novel pathways implicated in neuronal injury, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. Our goal is to protect neuronal health and restore function, rather than simply manage symptoms.
Reduce neuroinflammation
Modulate inflammatory signaling in neural and supporting cells.
Protect neurons
Address oxidative stress and neuronal injury.
Restore function
Support the health and activity of sensory neurons.
Our pipeline
Focused development
with a clear path forward.
Our lead program is advancing through preclinical drug development, with a focus on painful peripheral neuropathy.
| Program | Discovery | Lead optimization | Preclinical | Clinical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Painful Peripheral Neuropathy Lead program · Non-opioid small-molecule therapeutics | Completed | Current stage | ||
| Sensorineural Hearing Loss Discovery program | Current stage |
Our leadership
Proven experience in turning science into new medicines.
Our founders bring over 60 years of combined pharmaceutical and biotechnology experience and have advanced 11 programs to the clinical stage at previous organizations. We are applying this experience to develop new non-opioid therapeutics for patients with neuropathic pain.
Nick Cosford, PhD
Co-founder & Chemistry Lead
Medicinal chemist with expertise in GPCR pharmacology and small-molecule drug discovery.
Deron Herr, PhD
Co-founder & Biology Lead
Pharmacologist with experience in drug discovery, development, and translational research.