Source: University of Utah News — New Painkiller Was Born in Utah
source confidence: High status: Useful updated 2026-06-19
Summary
University of Utah news release describing the discovery history of ziconotide (Prialt) — tracing the peptide's origins to Baldomero Olivera's conotoxin research program and J. Michael McIntosh's early work isolating omega-conotoxin MVIIA from Conus magus venom — and the FDA's December 2004 approval of Prialt.
Useful Claims
- The founding peptide for Prialt was discovered at the University of Utah by J. Michael McIntosh, who started in Olivera's lab before his freshman year.
- Baldomero "Toto" Olivera's University of Utah lab developed the core conotoxin research program.
- The FDA approved ziconotide (Prialt) on December 28, 2004 for severe chronic pain via intrathecal infusion.
- Commercial development ran from Neurex to Elan to Jazz Pharmaceuticals after the Utah discovery.
Verbatim
"The natural form of Prialt – a new drug for severe pain approved this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – was discovered at the University of Utah in 1979 by an incoming freshman studying toxins produced by cone snails." — News release opening
"On Dec. 28, Elan got FDA approval to sell Prialt for chronic, intractable pain suffered by people with cancer, AIDS, injury, failed back surgery or certain nervous system disorders." — News release body, FDA approval
"Neurex ultimately was acquired by Elan Corp., based in Dublin, Ireland." — News release body, commercial development
Reliability Notes
University-issued institutional news release — credible for attribution of discovery to Utah researchers and for the FDA approval date, but not a peer-reviewed primary source for the biochemistry. Corroborated by FDA records and primary literature.