Cara Therapeutics to Present at March Medical Meet

STAMFORD, Conn., March 13, 2017 (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 that it will present at two upcoming medical meetings.

At the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2017 Annual Meeting (to be held March 14-18, 2017 in San Diego), Dr. Joseph Stauffer, Cara’s Chief Medical Officer, will moderate a satellite symposium discussing kappa opioid receptor agonists (KORAs) as a novel approach to acute and chronic pain management. This discussion will highlight clinical trial data for CR845, the Company’s first-in-class peripherally selective kappa opioid agonist. To date, results support the view that CR845 is unlikely to be recreationally abused or lead to physical dependence.

At the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) 33 ^rd Annual Meeting (to be held March 15-19, 2017 in Orlando), Dr. Stauffer will moderate a satellite symposium reviewing the need for novel therapeutics for acute and chronic pain and the unique pharmacology of CR845, and its potential in these indications.

AAOS 2017 Annual Meeting

The satellite symposium details are as follows:

Title : “Moving Beyond Mu with Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonists: Leaving the Baggage Behind” Date : Wednesday, March 15, 2017 Time : 6:30 – 7:30 a.m. PT Location : Lobby Level Grand Hall A, Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego Moderator : Joseph Stauffer, D.O., M.B.A., Chief Medical Officer, Cara Therapeutics; Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Faculty : Hassan R. Mir, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.S., Director of Orthopaedic Residency Program, Associate Professor, University of South Florida; Director of Orthopaedic Trauma Research, Florida Orthopaedic Institute

For more information on the AAOS 2017 Annual meeting, visit: http://www.aaos.org/annualmeeting/?ssopc=1 . 

AAPM 33 ^rd Annual Meeting

The satellite symposium details are as follows:

Title : “A New Path to Pain Relief: Time for Change with a Peripherally Acting Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonist (KORA)” Date : Friday, March 17, 2017 Time : 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. ET Location : Grand Caribbean Ballroom 7, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando™ Moderator : Joseph Stauffer, D.O., M.B.A., Chief Medical Officer, Cara Therapeutics; Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Faculty : Ajay D. Wasan, M.D., M.Sc., Vice Chair for Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Professor of Anesthesiology & Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Dr. Stauffer will also present poster #167, “Safety, Tolerability, and Effectiveness of Orally Administered CR845, a Peripherally Acting Kappa-Opioid Receptor Agonist, in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee or Hip” in the Resource Center on Thursday, March 16 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. The poster will remain on display until 11 a.m. on Friday, March 17.

For more information on the AAPM 33 ^rd Annual Meeting, visit: http://www.painmed.org/annualmeeting/ .

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.

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

In approximately 1,150 subjects dosed to date, 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.

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 peripheral 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: Michael Schaffzin Stern Investor Relations, Inc. 212-362-1200 michael@sternir.com MEDIA CONTACT: Annie Starr 6 Degrees 973-415-8838 astarr@6degreespr.com