ProTx-II
Venom Peptide / Pain ResearchAlso known as: Protoxin-II, ProTx-2, β/ω-TRTX-Tp2a
Spider Venom PeptidesResearch phase: PreclinicalRegulatory: Not approved. Research compound and drug design scaffold.
Mechanism
ProTx-II is a tarantula venom peptide and one of the most potent known blockers of Nav1.7 sodium channels. It is a leading research compound for non-opioid pain drug development.
Technical detail
ProTx-II is a 30-amino acid ICK peptide from Thrixopelma pruriens venom that potently inhibits Nav1.7 (IC50 ~0.3 nM) by binding the domain II and IV voltage sensors. It has moderate selectivity over other Nav subtypes. Multiple pharmaceutical programs have used ProTx-II as a structural template for Nav1.7-selective analgesic development.