Orexo completes first OX27 pharmacokinetic trial against breakthrough pain in cancer

Orexo AB (STO:ORX) announces a successful outcome following completion of the first OX27 pharmacokinetic trial.

OX27 is a sublingual tablet developed to optimize the treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients. The market for treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients is approximately 1.5 billion USD in Europe and United States.

In the completed study three different doses of OX27 were administered to healthy subjects. The plasma concentration curves obtained indicate that the active pharmaceutical ingredient was rapidly absorbed and subsequently quickly eliminated, rendering the product suitable for the treatment of breakthrough pain episodes. The results support further development of the project. Orexo plans to initiate and complete the next clinical study in healthy volunteers in the fourth quarter 2011.

Anders Lundström, Orexo's President and CEO, said: "OX27 has the potential to improve treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients. The successful outcome of this trial shows important progress for Orexo in building its proprietary pipeline, thus bringing us closer our defined goal of becoming a successful specialty pharma company".

Orexo currently has 3 fully owned programs (including OX27) in early stage clinical development, all directed towards hospital or specialist commercial segments. Initial data from OX219, for the treatment of opioid dependence, was communicated in Q4 2010, and initial data from OX51, for the treatment of acute intensive pain, was communicated in Q2 2011.