Opioid analgesics (painkillers) are commonly used to treat chronic pain, such as with individuals suffering from cancer. Long-term use of this type of opioid analgesics can result in a tolerance toward the effects of the opioids. This challenge is further compacted when the patient can no longer tolerate the adverse side effects of the analgesic, which ultimately limits dosage and efficacy.
Galena Biopharma is developing and commercializing a portfolio of oncology treatments to address unmet medical needs, such as pain management for opioid-tolerant cancer patients with underlying persistent cancer pain.
The company in March 2013 acquired Abstral®, an FDA-approved therapy designed to improve the quality of life for cancer patients suffering from breakthrough cancer pain but that have developed a tolerance to opioid (narcotic) pain management.
Abstral is a rapidly dissolving sublingual (under the tongue) formulation of fentanyl, which is 50-100 times a potent as morphine. This innovative formulation provides rapid relief of pain and matches the duration of the patient’s entire pain episode.
In early October Galena officially launched Abstral in the United States. The treatment is now prescribed by healthcare professionals and distributed through retail pharmacies nationwide. Abstral is already a market leader in Europe, where it achieved sales of $54 million by ProStrakan/Kyowa Hakko Kirin in full-year 2012.
The acquisition and launch of Abstral marks Galena’s transition from a development-stage biotech company into a commercial organization and is expected to generate revenues for the company in 2014 as it continues to develop the rest of its produce pipeline.
For more information, visit www.GalenaBiopharma.com
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