Patheon To Mfg. QRxPharma Pain Drug

QRxPharma has signed a contract with Patheon to manufacture clinical supplies of QRxPharma’s controlled release Dual-Opioid formulation, MoxDuoCR. MoxDuoCR is designed to provide 12 hours of pain relief in patients suffering from moderate to severe chronic pain (including cancer, lower back, osteoarthritis and neuropathic).

“The Patheon relationship represents a major step forward for QRxPharma that rounds out our platform of MoxDuo products,” said Dr. John Holaday, QRxPharma’s managing director and chief executive officer. “Our goal is to provide physicians and patients with a variety of complementary Dual Opioids for managing moderate to severe pain. MoxDuoCR is expected to deliver clinical benefits similar to those clinically demonstrated with MoxDuoIR (immediate release formulation) – fewer side effects and superior pain relief.”

The new formulation includes tamper resistant features and is designed to provide 12 hours of pain relief. “We are targeting a twice daily dosage with MoxDuoCR, and we anticipate our initial Phase I studies will begin this year to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile of this patented formulation,” said Dr. Holaday. MoxDuoIR is in Phase III trials and scheduled for an NDA in 2010. MoxDuoCR is anticipated to complete clinical trials in 2012.