Neurocarrus

Neurocarrus is a pharmaceutical startup that’s developing a life-changing pain medication.

Its drug candidate — N-001 — provides relief from severe and chronic pain. But here’s the thing: because this drug can’t enter the brain, it can’t cause addiction. It provides pain relief that's as effective as today’s prescription drugs — without side effects on the muscles, balance, or brain.

Neurocarrus’ drug acts like a dimmer switch on neurons without blocking sensation. And because the drug is a very large protein, its size prevents it from diffusing inside the body and blocks entry into the brain. This is how the drug prevents addiction.

Chronic pain alone affects tens of millions of people in the U.S., and the global market for pain therapeutics is worth tens of billions of dollars annually. Add in the growing urgency to find non-addictive alternatives amid the opioid crisis, and Neurocarrus is positioning itself in a high-demand, high-impact space

Neurocarrus is still in the preclinical stage, meaning its therapies have been tested in animal models rather than humans. But early results are promising.

The company reports that N-001 has demonstrated strong pain relief in animal studies involving inflammation and surgery, with efficacy comparable to existing treatments but without the typical downsides like motor impairment or dependency. Beyond acute pain, the company is also building a broader pipeline, including candidates for migraines (NL-17) and chronic pain (N-19a).

With respect to generating revenue, Neurocarrus is following a common biotech playbook. Rather than commercializing drugs on its own, the company plans to generate revenue by licensing its technology or drug candidates to larger pharmaceutical companies — or by being acquired outright.

In the near term, it is funded primarily through non-dilutive sources like federal and state grants, which have helped support ongoing research without heavy equity dilution.

Neurocarrus has received more than three million dollars in funding, including from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It’s also partnered with Stanford Medical School and the Veterans Administration in Palo Alto, California. Notably, Neurocarrus was accepted into the U.S. NIH Preclinical-Screening Platform for Pain.

Team Background

Paul Blum - Co-Founder & CEO

Paul has spent more than thirty years working in cell engineering and microbiology.

Throughout his career, he’s assisted several pharmaceutical companies with commercial
drug developments, specifically protein-related medications.

According to Paul, he was the person “brought in to fix drugs that were having problems late in their development.”

This experience will be very helpful for Neurocarrus, and we believe it increases its odds for success.

Prior to starting the company, Blum served as a professor at the University of Nebraska for nearly thirty years. He’s also been an adjunct professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Paul earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of California, Davis.

Derek Allen - Research Scientist

Prior to joining Neurocarrus in 2023, Derek spent six years as a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Nebraska. His focus was on biomedical research and protein engineering.

Before that, he was a research assistant at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and South Dakota State University.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from South Dakota State and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Nebraska.

Jianguo Cheng - Board Member

For eighteen years, Jianguo has worked as a Professor of Anesthesiology and Director of the Cleveland Clinic Pain Medicine Fellowship Program. In addition, he was an Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Louisville.

He was formerly the Head of Neurophysiology and Neurochemistry Labs at Qingdao University Medical College.

Jianguo earned a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine from Qingdao University and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Guelph. He also completed a Pain Medicine Fellowship program through Harvard Medical School.

Co-Investors