Levicept Ltd

Levicept is a UK-based clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing novel biological therapies for chronic pain, particularly in osteoarthritis. Its mission is to provide effective, well-tolerated analgesia without the dependency risks associated with opioids or the side effects of NSAIDs. The company's headquarters are located in Sandwich, Kent, UK.

The company's lead product is LEVI-04 (p75NTR-Fc), a first-in-class neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) inhibitor. This proprietary biologic is designed to modulate the neurotrophin pathway, aiming to deliver sustained pain relief and potentially disease-modifying effects for chronic pain, initially focusing on knee osteoarthritis. LEVI-04's mechanism is intended to avoid the use-limiting side effects, such as rapid progression of osteoarthritis, observed with other neurotrophin inhibitors.

In January 2026, Levicept announced the FDA's acceptance of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for LEVI-04, paving the way for U.S. clinical development. This follows positive Phase II clinical trial results in knee osteoarthritis, which demonstrated significant improvements in pain and function, and were published in The Lancet in March 2026. The company's Phase II work was also recognized at the Scrip Awards in December 2025. Eliot Forster serves as CEO, appointed in November 2023, while founder Simon Westbrook is the Chief Scientific Officer. Levicept operates as a privately held entity, having secured funding through venture rounds, including a Series B in 2021, with investors such as Medicxi, Advent Life Sciences, Gilde Healthcare, and Pfizer Ventures.