Cara Therapeutics and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (VFMCRP) Enter into Ex-U.S. Licensing Agreement to Commercialize KORSUVA™ Injection in Dialysis Patients with Pruritus Cara receives upfront payment of $50 million in cash and an equity...Cara Therapeutics, Inc. • May 23rd, 2018 • Pharmaceutical preparations
STAMFORD, Conn., May 23, 2018 – Cara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:CARA), a U.S. biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing new chemical entities designed to alleviate pruritus and pain by selectively targeting peripheral kappa opioid receptors, today announced that it has 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 Ltd (VFMCRP), a joint company of Vifor Pharma Group (SIX:VIFN) and Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE:FMS) that specializes in treatments for CKD. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to KORSUVA injection for this indication, for which there are currently no approved therapies in the U.S. or E.U.
