SHELTON, Conn., Sept. 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:CARA), a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing new chemical entities designed to alleviate pain and pruritus by selectively targeting kappa opioid receptors, today announced that Chief Medical Officer Joseph Stauffer, D.O., M.B.A., will present two posters at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) Annual Assembly, to be held October 1-4 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. These posters will include positive data from Cara's Phase 2 acute pain and human abuse liability studies of CR845, the Company's first-in-class peripherally-selective kappa opioid agonist, which has potential to be the only Schedule V or non-scheduled opioid for acute pain.
Dr. Stauffer will present the following posters on Friday, October 2 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET on the Plaza Level of the Hynes Convention Center in Exhibit Hall B:
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Poster #146: "CR845, a Novel Peripherally-Acting Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonist, Has Low Abuse Potential Compared with Pentazocine"
- Poster #147: "CR845, a Peripheral Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonist, Provides Better Pain Relief with Less Nausea and Vomiting Than Placebo in Patients after Bunionectomy"
In addition, these posters will be on display in the Poster Hall on Friday, October 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and on Saturday, October 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET.
For more information on the AAPM&R Annual Assembly, visit http://www.aapmr.org/assembly/Pages/default.aspx.
About CR845
CR845 is a peripherally acting kappa opioid receptor agonist currently in development for the treatment of acute and chronic pain and pruritus. In multiple randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trials in patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy or bunionectomy procedures, I.V. CR845 treatment resulted in statistically significant reductions in both pain intensity and opioid-related side effects. In more than 490 subjects dosed to date, I.V. CR845 was observed to be well tolerated, without incurring the dysphoric and psychotomimetic side effects that have been reported with centrally acting (CNS-active) kappa opioid receptor agonists. In Q3'15, Cara initiated the first Phase 3 pivotal trial of I.V. CR845 in acute postoperative pain in patients undergoing a range of abdominal surgeries. In addition, an ongoing Phase 2 trial of an oral tablet formulation of CR845 for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) is expected to read out in Q4'15.
About Cara Therapeutics
Cara Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing new chemical entities designed to alleviate pain and pruritus by selectively targeting kappa opioid receptors. Cara is developing a novel and proprietary class of product candidates that target the body's peripheral nervous system and have demonstrated efficacy in patients with moderate to severe pain without inducing many of the undesirable side effects typically associated with currently available pain therapeutics.