Shares in KemPharm (NSDQ:KMPH) soared today after the company said that the FDA approved a re-submitted application for its pain-relief prodrug, Apadaz. The product, which combines benzhydrocodone and acetaminophen, is indicated for the short-term management of acute pain. The FDA rejected KemPharm’s first attempt at regulatory approval for Apadaz in 2016. Today’s win for KemPharm is […]
Pain Management
Pacira shares fall after FDA committee rejects expanded use for Exparel pain drug
Shares in Pacira Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:PCRX) fell nearly -16% today after a panel of experts convened by the FDA voted against an expanded use for Pacira’s injectable pain drug. The pharmaceutical company previously submitted an application seeking to use the local anesthetic as a regional pain-killer. The committee’s feedback doesn’t necessarily mean the immediate end for Pacira’s […]
Ensysce Biosciences wins fast track status for abuse-deterrent oxycodone
Ensysce Biosciences said this week that its extended-release oxycodone prodrug won fast track status from the FDA. The San Diego, Calif.-based company is developing the abuse-deterrent drug as a pain management therapy for people with moderate to severe chronic pain. Ensysce’s prodrugs are only activated once they reach the small intestine, where enzymes set off […]
How conversations with virtual people could help mitigate the opioid crisis
It often starts in the doctor’s office or the emergency room. A patient has broken their leg and will be in pain for weeks. Another patient has had back surgery and is on their way home, but it will take time before they’re fully recovered. A third patient has returned for a consult about the […]
FDA, FTC warn companies over deceptive opioid cessation products
The FDA and the Federal Trade Commission have posted joint warning letters to companies that make and distribute opioid cessation products. The two watchdogs warned that the companies are illegally marketing their unapproved products as treatments or even cures for people with opioid addiction and withdrawal. Selling unapproved products as therapies for opioid addiction is […]
Braeburn dealt setback over monthly, weekly opioid abuse therapy
The FDA has issued a complete response letter to Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, denying its application for an investigational weekly and monthly buprenorphine depot injection designed to treat adults with opioid use disorder. The company reported that the dreaded CRL does not request additional clinical studies, but Braeburn did not elaborate as to what sort of additional […]
NeuroMetrix, GSK ink development deal for Quell wearable pain-relief tech
Shares in NeuroMetrix (NSDQ:NURO) soared this morning after the company announced it would partner with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) to expand development of NeuroMetrix’s Quell wearable pain-relief device. According to the terms of the deal, GSK’s consumer healthcare business will have exclusive rights to the Quell system for markets outside of the U.S., while NeuroMetrix will retain ownership […]
Braeburn raises $110m for opioid use disorder depot injection
Braeburn Pharmaceuticals has raised $110 million in a mezzanine round of financing led by Wellington Capital. Other investors included Avista Capital Partners, RA Capital Management, Deerfield Management and Apple Tree Partners. The Princeton, N.J.-based company said it plans to use the new funds to support the FDA approval process and commercialization of CAM2038, a weekly […]
Egalet teams up with Valeant division to promote pain-relief nasal spray
Egalet (NSDQ:EGLT) has partnered with a division of Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:VRX), OraPharma, to co-promote its pain-relief nasal spray to dentists and oral surgeons in the U.S. Sprix nasal spray is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug designed for the short-term management of moderate to moderately-severe pain. Financial terms of the two-year deal were not disclosed. “Given the need for […]
Medtech stories we missed this week: Dec. 22, 2017
From Hepa Wash’s new collaboration to Stimwave’s FDA clearance, here are five medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. Hepa Wash collaborates with GALS program Hepa Wash announced in a Dec. 7 press release that it has collaborated with the German Accelerator Life Sciences (GALS) program to expand its […]