Cara Therapeutics is an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics to treat human diseases associated with pain, inflammation and pruritus. The company’s most advanced candidate, CR845, is a patented compound possessing analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-pruritic activities that make it appropriate for a variety of therapeutic applications. Currently, the compound is undergoing clinical testing for the treatment of acute pain and pruritus.
“The first half of 2015 continues to be an important period for the Company as we finalize and initiate our Phase 3 Program for I.V. CR845, which offers the potential for post-operative pain relief without typical opioid side effects,” stated Dr. Derek Chalmers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cara.
The demand for pain medications throughout the United States is considerable. According to IMS Health, the total market for pain management pharmaceuticals throughout the country accounted for $18.2 billion in 2012. Despite its size, however, the pain and inflammation market currently represents an area with substantial unmet patient need. This is because the majority of existing pain medications are severely limited by a host of adverse side effects. The potentially negative effects of opioids, which are currently the most common treatment for moderate-to-severe pain, include diminished effectiveness over time, potential for addiction and nausea, among others.
Cara’s CR845 possesses peripherally-selective molecules that interact with the kappa opioid receptors located directly on pain-sensing nerves. In early testing, the compound has been shown as extremely effective in terms of kappa receptor selectivity and has shown no significant affinity for non-opioid receptors. If these results prove to be consistent throughout clinical testing, the drug candidate should produce a similar pain management effect to currently available options without many of the dangerous side effects.
According to a report from ABC News, while the United States makes up only 4.6 percent of the world’s population, as much as 80 percent of the world’s opioids are consumed within the country. This statistics shows the incredible demand for painkilling medications, but experts also suggest that it is an indicator of the overall addictiveness of currently available drugs. Cara, through the continued development of CR845, is both addressing the issue of addictiveness and positioning itself for substantial growth in the pharmaceutical market moving forward.
With hydrocodone combination products being moved from the more-permissive Schedule III to the restrictive Schedule II category in the United States late last year, the market may soon be on the hunt for a more easily accessible alternative to the country’s most widely-prescribed pills. If CR845 receives a “lower scheduled or potentially even non-scheduled designation” at the conclusion of trials, as has been previously suggested by Dr. Chalmers, Cara is in a strong strategic position to make a substantial impact on the biopharmaceutical industry for years to come.
For more information, visit www.caratherapeutics.com
