New Pain Drug Offers Hope Where Opioids Have Failed

NEW YORK - June 14, 2016 - PRLog -- A recent study conducted by David Michaelson & Co. commissioned by the American Pain Foundation and Endo Pharmaceuticals found that 51% of chronic pain sufferers taking opioids report "only a little" or "no control" over their pain. Chronic pain is a notoriously difficult disease to treat. This is because of the diverse nature of the affliction and the fact that patients develop tolerance to powerful opioid drugs like oxycodone and morphine.

Relmada Therapeutics (RLMD) is developing a new long-acting pain drug called LevoCap ER. LevoCap ER is an extended release, abuse and tamper-resistant formulation of levorphanol, a powerful new pain medication with a multimodal mechanism of action shown to work where powerful opioids like OxyContin fail.

Levorphanol has been around since the 1950's, but the current generic formulation is incredibly expensive and short-acting. It is also not abuse or tamper-resistant. Relmada will request a meeting with the U.S. FDA in the coming months to discuss plans for a Phase 3 clinical trial with LevoCap ER. Once the protocol has been agreed upon, management plans to seek a development partner to fund the final stage of development and commercialization plans.

LevoCap ER represents and interesting late-stage pain asset similar to tapentadol or cabranopadol. With a successful Phase 3 trial, LevoCap ER could gain sizable market share in the $13 billion U.S. chronic pain market. With a successful FDA meeting later this year, a feat that seems easily achievable for Relmada, the company should be in position to sign a lucrative partnering transaction.

To read more about Relmada Therapeutics and LevoCap ER, please visit BioNap's website here >>  http://www.bionapcfa.com/2016/06/relmadas-levocap-er-is-t...