Cara Therapeutics licensed worldwide rights, except in the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, to commercialize Korsuva™ (CR845/difelikefalin) injection for the treatment of chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) in dialysis patients to Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma.
“CR845 injection is a first-in-class, innovative investigational medicine for treating a highly debilitating disease. It is a natural fit to our leading product portfolio in nephrology, and we look forward to making it available to patients who urgently need better therapy,” said Stefan Schulze, Vifor Pharma president of the executive committee and COO. “Sixty to 70% of dialysis patients experience CKD-aP. Nearly 20% suffer from a very severe form, which is associated with much lower survival. And despite this clear unmet medical need, there is no approved treatment for CKD-aP in Europe or the U.S. CR845 does not penetrate the brain and so bypasses unwanted side effects like opioid addiction. It has significant potential for setting new standards in providing relief, both from CKD- induced itching and postoperative pain.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Cara will receive an up-front payment in the amount of $50 million in cash and an equity investment of $20 million to acquire Cara common stock at a price of approximately $17 per share. Cara will also be eligible to receive additional payments of up to $470 million, which includes $30 million in regulatory and up to $440 million in tiered commercial milestones that are all sales related.
