** Shares of drug developer NRx Pharmaceuticals Inc NRXP.O rise 8.2% to 28 cents premarket

** Says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had cleared human trials of its experimental drug to treat chronic pain

** Eyes registrational studies for the drug candidate, NRX-101, in 2024

** Company also plans to seek "Fast Track" and "Breakthrough Therapy" designations while awaiting near-term results of Dept of Defense-funded trial

** FDA's "fast track" and "breakthrough therapy" tags are intended to expedite development and review of drug candidates being developed to treat serious conditions or unmet medical need

** NRX-101, a combination of D-cycloserine and lurasidone, is also being developed for suicidal treatment resistant bipolar depression and post-traumatic stress disorder

** Up to last close, stock down ~76.6% YTD

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru)

(( Mariam.ESunny@thomsonreuters.com ;))

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