Depomed Announces Submission Of New Drug Application For Investigational Postherpetic Neuralgia Treatment DM-1796

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Article Date: 31 Mar 2010 - 10:00 PDT


Depomed, Inc. (NASDAQ: DEPO) announced that its licensee has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) for DM-1796 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the management of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), or pain after shingles. DM-1796 is an investigational, extended release, once-daily tablet formulation of gabapentin designed to reduce dosing frequency and have a low incidence of side effects.

The application follows the completion of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study of 452 PHN patients. The study demonstrated that DM-1796 achieved a statistically significant reduction in average daily pain score associated with PHN versus placebo using the numerical Likert pain scale.

"PHN is a serious problem and can profoundly undermine the health and quality of life of patients who experience this complication," explained Russell Portenoy, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care at Beth Israel Medical Center and Professor of Neurology and Anesthesiology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, both in New York. "There continues to be a need for new and improved therapies."

"The NDA submission is a significant milestone in the development of DM-1796," said Carl Pelzel, president and chief executive officer of Depomed. "We are excited about the product potential in North America, where it is partnered with Abbott Products, and also outside of North America, where we are actively pursuing partnering discussions."

"We believe that DM-1796 can provide significant clinical benefits to patients with its once-daily dosing and reduced side effects. DM-1796 is targeting a market where almost half of patients obtain less than optimal results with current treatments," added Mike Sweeney, M.D., Depomed's vice president, Research and Development.

About Postherpetic Neuralgia

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a persistent neuropathic pain condition. It is caused by nerve damage after shingles, or herpes zoster, viral infection. Approximately 70,000 to 100,000 Americans are affected by PHN each year. The incidence of PHN increases in elderly patients -- 35 percent of shingles patients over 80 years old develop PHN. The pain associated with PHN can interfere with daily activities such as sleep and recreational activities and can be associated with clinical depression.

About DM-1796 (gabapentin extended release) Tablets

DM-1796 is an investigational, once-daily therapy for the management of postherpetic neuralgia. It features a unique extended release formulation, which allows for the drug to be gradually absorbed into the blood. This reduces the frequency of peak concentrations commonly seen with immediate release formulations currently on the market. A reduction in the frequency of peak concentrations may result in a lower incidence of side effects. The formulation and the evening dosing regimen will allow for greater exposure of the drug during the night when patients with postherpetic neuralgia report the most pain. Treatment tolerability and a convenient dosing regimen could potentially translate into greater patient compliance and ultimately better pain management.

Abbott Products, Inc. (formerly Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) has licensed the rights to DM-1796 from Depomed in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for the treatment of pain. Abbott Products, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories.

Source
Depomed, Inc.

• Additional
• References
• Citations