Cara Therapeutics to Present Preclinical Data at June Medical Meetings

STAMFORD, Conn., June 09, 2016 (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 peripheral kappa opioid receptors, today announced the presentation of preclinical data, including one late-breaking abstract, at the International Study Group Investigating Drugs as Reinforcers (to be held June 11, 2016) and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence 78^th Annual Scientific Meeting (to be held June 11-16, 2016), both of which will take place in Palm Springs, California.

Professor David J. Heal, Ph.D., D.Sc., F.R.C.S., Executive Director at RenaSci, Ltd., will present preclinical data on various aspects of CR845’s potential for human abuse. The findings to be presented support the view that CR845 is unlikely to be recreationally abused or liable to cause physical dependence.

Details of the presentations are as follows:

International Study Group Investigating Drugs as Reinforcers (ISGIDAR)

Title: “Evaluation of the reinforcing effect of the κ-opioid receptor agonist CR845 using a self-administration procedure in heroin-maintained rats”
Date: Saturday, June 11, 2016
Time: 8:40 – 9:00 a.m. PT
Location: La Quinta Resort and Club, Fiesta 12

For more information on ISGIDAR, visit https://isgidar.com/.

College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 78^th Annual Scientific Meeting

Title: “Investigation of the κ-opioid receptor agonist CR845 and reference comparator, butorphanol, in rats trained to discriminate (-) pentazocine from saline”
Date:  Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Time: 3:00 – 3:20 p.m. PT
Location: La Quinta Resort and Club, Fiesta 4
Title: “Evaluation of the possible reinforcing effect of the κ-opioid receptor agonist CR845 using a self-administration procedure in heroin-maintained rats”
Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Time: 2:15 – 3:15 p.m. PT
Location: La Quinta Resort and Club, Fiesta 6/8

For more information on the CPDD 78^th Annual Scientific Meeting, visit https://cpdd.org/.

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 a human abuse liability trial, I.V. CR845 demonstrated statistically significant reductions in “drug liking,” “feeling high,” “overall liking,” and “take drug again” scores in comparison to I.V. pentazocine, a Schedule IV analgesic. In more than 635 subjects dosed to date, I.V. CR845 was found 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.

An oral formulation of CR845 has also been evaluated in a Phase 2a study in osteoarthritis patients and was shown to be well tolerated with twice a day dosing for two weeks, with evidence of decreasing pain scores during that time period.

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 initial efficacy in patients with moderate-to-severe pain without inducing many of the undesirable side effects typically associated with currently available pain therapeutics.

INVESTOR CONTACT:
Jesse Baumgartner
Stern Investor Relations, Inc.
212-362-1200
Jesse@sternir.com
MEDIA CONTACT:
Annie Starr
6 Degrees
973-415-8838
astarr@6degreespr.com