Ziconotide
Summary
Ziconotide is an N-type calcium channel antagonist used to manage patients with severe chronic pain who cannot tolerate, or who have not responded adequately to other treatments such as intrathecal morphine and systemic analgesics.
Brand Names: Prialt
Generic Name: Ziconotide
Background
Ziconotide (also known as SNX-111) is a neurotoxic peptide derived from the cone snail Conus magus comprising 25 amino acids with three disulphide bonds.7,18 Other such peptides, collectively termed conotoxins, exist, and some have shown efficacy in binding specific subsets of calcium channels; ziconotide is used in part because it can be synthesized without loss of proper bond formation or structural elements.5,6 Ziconotide is used to manage severe chronic pain refractory to other methods, through its ability to inhibit N-type calcium channels involved in nociceptive signalling.5,7,8,9,12,14,18
Ziconotide was granted FDA approval on December 28, 2004 for marketing by TerSera therapeutics LLC. under the name Prialt.18 To date, ziconotide is the only calcium channel blocking peptide approved for use by the FDA.7