One To Watch

Levicept

A UK clinical-stage biotech developing a non-opioid biologic for osteoarthritis pain. Its lead program targets neurotrophin biology with the aim of delivering sustained analgesia without the dependency risks of opioids.

Headquarters and Global Presence

Levicept is based in Sandwich, Kent, UK. The company’s development is oriented to international regulatory and clinical pathways, including U.S. trial readiness following FDA acceptance of an IND for its lead asset in January 2026.

Founding and History

Levicept was formed to advance a pain-modulating biologic originally acquired from Pfizer’s Sandwich site. The company has progressed the program through Phase I and Phase II clinical testing in knee osteoarthritis and has financed development through venture rounds and non-dilutive support, including a Series B in 2021.

Therapy Areas and Focus

Levicept is focused on chronic pain in osteoarthritis, initially knee osteoarthritis. The company positions its approach at the intersection of symptom control and potential effects on disease biology, based on biomarker and imaging-driven clinical work.

Technology Platforms and Modalities

Levicept is developing LEVI-04, a first-in-class neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) inhibitor in an Fc-fusion biologic format (p75 neurotrophin receptor–Fc). The program rationale is to modulate neurotrophin signaling implicated in osteoarthritis pain and function, with a development plan that has included repeated dosing in controlled clinical trials.

Strategic Partnerships

Levicept has operated with an outsourced development model, using external partners for manufacturing and clinical execution. Its investor syndicate has included Medicxi, Advent Life Sciences and Gilde Healthcare, with Pfizer Ventures participating in the 2021 financing round.

Key Personnel

Eliot Forster is CEO.
Simon Westbrook is Founder and Chief Scientific Officer.

FAQ Section

Levicept is developing an Fc-fusion biologic designed to inhibit neurotrophin-3 activity. The platform focus is targeted modulation of pain-relevant neurotrophin pathways rather than opioid receptor pharmacology.

The company’s disclosed focus is osteoarthritis, starting with moderate-to-severe knee osteoarthritis where chronic pain and loss of function remain common despite standard therapies.

Levicept’s disclosed pipeline is led by a single program: LEVI-04 for osteoarthritis pain and related osteoarthritis outcomes. The company has also referenced potential applicability to other pain indications, but osteoarthritis has been the primary clinical emphasis.

January 2026: Levicept announced FDA acceptance of an IND for LEVI-04, positioning the program for U.S. clinical development.
December 2025: the company’s Phase II work in knee osteoarthritis was recognized in the Scrip Awards (Clinical Advance of the Year, Early Stage).

Levicept has reported positive Phase II results in knee osteoarthritis, with improvements in pain and function outcomes versus placebo and no signal described as deleterious to joint structure in presented analyses. Data disclosures have been made through press releases and medical meeting presentations spanning 2024–2025.

Near-term milestones are centered on initiating IND-enabled studies in the U.S., defining the next-stage clinical pathway beyond Phase II, and continuing to support the program with longer-term follow-up and structural outcome analyses relevant to osteoarthritis development.

Levicept is targeting neurotrophin biology via NT-3 inhibition in a biologic fusion protein format. The differentiation is intended to be clinical—durability of analgesia, functional improvement, and safety/tolerability—rather than incremental reformulation of existing analgesic classes.

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