Opioids News and Research

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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

Study demonstrates effectiveness of pre-emptive pain management protocol using pregabalin in urologic surgery

Reporting in the journal Urology, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have found that a pre-emptive multimodal pain regimen that included pregabalin (Lyrica) decreased the use of opioid analgesics in patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

28 Jun 2010

TheraQuest launches new analgesic product pipeline

TheraQuest Biosciences, Inc., a clinical stage pain management company today unveiled its analgesic product pipeline. TheraQuest also announced the launch of its new corporate website at http://www.theraquestinc.com.

23 Jun 2010

Incline acquires IONSYS, announces $43 million Series A financing

Incline Therapeutics, Inc., a privately-held, hospital-focused specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the rights to IONSYS™ (fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system) from ALZA Corporation and completed a $43 million Series A financing.

22 Jun 2010

Cadence Pharmaceuticals to acquire Incline Therapeutics

Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on in-licensing, developing and commercializing proprietary product candidates principally for use in the hospital setting, announced today that it has signed an agreement providing Cadence with an exclusive option to acquire Incline Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company.

22 Jun 2010

OncoGenex initiates Phase 3 Prostate Cancer SATURN Trial

OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the initiation of a Phase 3 registration trial of custirsen sodium (OGX-011/TV-1011), its lead product candidate being developed for the treatment of castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). This trial, referred to as the Prostate Cancer SATURN Trial, is the first of three Phase 3 trials to be initiated under a global collaboration and license agreement between OncoGenex and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries to develop and commercialize OGX-011/ TV-1011.

21 Jun 2010

Alkermes receives tentative schedule notification for FDA advisory committee meeting on VIVITROL sNDA

Alkermes, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the company of the tentative scheduling of a Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting on September 16, 2010, for the review of the company's supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for VIVITROL® (naltrexone for extended-release injectable suspension) for opioid dependence.

18 Jun 2010

DURECT reports European POSIDUR Phase IIb hysterectomy clinical trial results

DURECT Corporation announced today results from a European Phase IIb hysterectomy clinical trial conducted by Nycomed of POSIDUR™ (also known as SABER™-bupivacaine or Optesia™ in the E.U.), a proprietary product under development for the treatment of post-surgical pain.

17 Jun 2010

USPTO issues patent covering Probuphine for opiate addiction

Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued patent number 7,736,665 covering Probuphine for the treatment of opiate addiction.

16 Jun 2010

VA Federal Supply Schedule Service approves CTT as vendor for Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment

Competitive Technologies, Inc. announced today that the Department of Veterans Affairs' Federal Supply Schedule Service has accepted CTT's application to be an approved vendor for its Calmare® Pain Therapy Treatment. This decision will enable CTT to sell Calmare Pain Therapy to physicians throughout the Federal government, with the expectation of significant sales in that market sector, which includes the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Prisons, and State Veteran Homes.

15 Jun 2010

Inadequate treatment strategies make cancer patients suffer unnecessarily: Survey

Further results from the European Survey of Breakthrough Cancer Pain were presented for the first time today at the 6th Research Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care in Glasgow.

11 Jun 2010

CTT's Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment shows promise against CIPN

Competitive Technologies, Inc. today announced the presentation of results from a study that shows the successful treatment of patients suffering from pain associated with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy using CTT's Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment. A three-hour discussion led by principal investigator, Thomas J. Smith, M.D., Endowed Chair of Palliative Care Research and Medical Director of the Thomas Palliative Care Unit Virginia Commonwealth University's Massey Cancer Center, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, cited results of the study.

11 Jun 2010

FDA grants Collegium Fast Track designation for COL-172 opioid formulation

Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to the investigation of COL-172 for the relief of moderate to severe pain in patients requiring continuous, around-the-clock opioid treatment for an extended period of time.

10 Jun 2010

Masimo announces full market release of Rainbow Acoustic Monitoring to provide RRa

Masimo, the inventor of Pulse CO-Oximetry and Measure-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, announced today the full market release of its latest medical technology breakthrough—Masimo Rainbow Acoustic Monitoring— providing continuous and noninvasive respiration rate that is accurate, easy-to-use, and enhances patient tolerance.

7 Jun 2010

Walter Reed Army Medical Center to treat pain patients with CTT's Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment

Competitive Technologies, Inc. announced today that the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., has joined the growing list of organizations that will treat pain patients with CTT's Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment, as authorized by the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Command.

5 Jun 2010

Competitive Technologies to raise over $5M to accelerate sales of Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment

Competitive Technologies, Inc. today announced that it has signed an agreement to raise over $5 million by selling 2 million shares of equity to Crisnic Fund, S.A. based on a 15% discount from the volume weighted average price on the date the SEC declares the registration effective, as detailed in the 8-K being filed today.

2 Jun 2010

Relevare Pharmaceuticals to present CNSB015 Phase IIa results at international neuropathic pain congress

Relevare Pharmaceuticals Ltd. will present its recent Phase IIa proof-of-concept clinical trial data and extension study results for CNSB015 (flupirtine), its lead repositioned compound, at the Third International Congress on Neuropathic Pain on May 27 –30 in Athens, Greece.

28 May 2010

YM BioSciences initiates enrollment in nimotuzumab trial in brain metastases from NSCLC

YM BioSciences Inc., today announced that the first US patient has been enrolled in its randomized, double-blind trial evaluating nimotuzumab in patients with brain metastases from NSCLC at the Florida Cancer Institute - New Hope. This trial initiation follows recent clearance from the US FDA announced on January 26, 2010 allowing the Company to enroll patients at US clinical sites for two of its international and ongoing randomized, double-blind Phase II trials of nimotuzumab.

27 May 2010

Physician experts review current practices for pain management in cirrhotic patients

In the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, physician experts review current practices for pain management in cirrhotic patients. The physician experts reviewed all current literature available on PubMed and MEDLINE with no limits in the search to recommend a uniform and practical guide to approaching analgesia in the cirrhotic patients.

27 May 2010

FDA grants priority review for Alkermes' VIVITROL sNDA for opioid dependence

Alkermes, Inc. today announced that the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for VIVITROL® (naltrexone for extended-release injectable suspension) for opioid dependence has been designated a priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

25 May 2010

Elite Pharmaceuticals acquires hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets from Mikah Pharma

Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the acquisition of a currently approved Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for hydromorphone hydrochloride 8 mg tablets from Mikah Pharma LLC. The hydromorphone hydrochloride tablets are the generic equivalent of Dilaudid® 8 mg.