Enteris Biopharma's Formulation Technology Enables Oral Delivery of Cara Therapeutics' Peptide


Enteris BioPharma, Inc. congratulates Cara Therapeutics on the dosing of the first patients in a Phase II trial of an oral tablet formulation of its peripherally selective kappa opioid agonist, CR845, for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Cara’s tablet formulation of CR845 utilizes Enteris’ proprietary oral delivery technology.

The Phase II trial is a single blind, randomized, multiple ascending dose trial designed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and effectiveness of oral CR845 tablets dosed over a 2-week treatment period in OA patients experiencing moderate-to-severe pain.

“We congratulate Cara Therapeutics on the dosing of the first patients in its Phase II study of oral CR845,” said Brian Zietsman, President and CFO of Enteris BioPharma. “As Cara Therapeutics seeks to expand the clinical development of CR845 beyond the treatment of acute pain in an institutional setting, oral delivery of CR845 will be the key to unlock this opportunity.”

“In our estimation, oral CR845 has the potential to address a significant market opportunity in the treatment of acute and chronic pain for which there continues to be a very large unmet need for safer, alternatives to narcotic opioids,” added Derek Chalmers, PhD, DSc, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cara Therapeutics.

Cara Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical 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. For more information, visit www.caratherapeutics.com.

Enteris BioPharma, Inc. is a privately held, New Jersey-based biotechnology company offering innovative formulation solutions built around its proprietary drug delivery technologies. Enteris’ proprietary oral delivery technology has been the subject of numerous feasibility studies and active development programs, several of which are in late-stage clinical development. For more information, visit www.enterisbiopharma.com.