SUMMIT-07 Phase III study of NKTR 181, a first-in-class opioid analgesic to treat chronic pain, is presented at the 2017 PAIN Week.- Nektar Therapeutics

Nektar Therapeutics presented clinical data from the SUMMIT-07 Phase III study of NKTR 181, a first-in-class opioid analgesic to treat chronic pain, at the 2017 PAIN Week Conference in Las Vegas.

NKTR 181 is a new chemical entity (NCE) and mu-opioid agonist molecule designed to provide potent pain relief without the high levels of euphoria that can lead to abuse and addiction with standard opioids. NKTR 181 is the first analgesic opioid molecule to exhibit reduction in specific CNS-mediated side effects, like euphoria, through the strategic alteration of brain-entry kinetics. The FDA has granted the investigational medicine NKTR 181 Fast Track designation for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic pain.

"The data presented at PAINWeek for SUMMIT-07 show that NKTR 181 represents a major step forward for the treatment of chronic pain and could be a fundamental building block in the fight against prescription opioid abuse," said Ivan Gergel, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Nektar Therapeutics. "Conventional opioid analgesics can produce withdrawal symptoms after cessation of chronic administration, which can lead to drug craving and opioid misuse. The withdrawal measurements taken throughout the efficacy trial of NKTR 181 show that 98 percent or more of patients in the study experienced no opioid withdrawal either during or after treatment with NKTR 181. The totality of our efficacy and safety data show that NKTR 181 provides strong analgesia in patients suffering from chronic pain without fear of serious safety concerns or the potential for abuse and addiction of conventional opioids".