KemPharm Enters Into License Agreement with KVK Tech for the Commercialization of APADAZ®
Partnership with KVK, One of the Largest Manufacturers of Controlled Substances in the U.S., Opens the Door for Commercial Launch of APADAZ with PBMs and MCOs
Highlights:
KemPharm to receive up to an estimated$3.4 million in pre-launch payments and cost reimbursementsKemPharm has the potential to receive up to an additional$53 million in aggregate milestone payments tied to specified net sales levels- Net profit share of up to 50% between
KemPharm and KVK
Under the terms of the agreement,
As one of the largest controlled substance manufacturers in the U.S., KVK Tech has an overall capacity to produce more than 3.5 billion tablets annually, with an active plan for expansion of capacity to produce over 15 billion tablets by 2020. Currently, the hydrocodone/acetaminophen market represents nearly 5 billion tablets dispensed annually in the U.S.
“Securing this agreement with KVK is an important step forward toward the commercial launch of APADAZ, a product which we believe offers a differentiated treatment option for the short-term management of acute pain,” said
“As one would expect, KVK undertook extensive due diligence and conducted its own market research regarding KemPharm’s proposed commercial plan for APADAZ through its existing relationships with various PBM’s and MCO’s. We both agree there appears to be a substantial market opportunity for the replacement of current hydrocodone/acetaminophen products with APADAZ,” added Mickle. “Additionally, as a result of our collaboration,
“Since our founding, KVK Tech has strived to become a trusted leader in generics manufacturing and distribution,” said
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About
About KVK:
Founded in 2004, KVK has fast become a trusted leader in generics. KVK’s business philosophy is built on a commitment to excellence with a focus on three core values: Safety, GMP Compliance, and Productivity. KVK focuses on sustainable growth through continuous improvement and respect for its customers, employees, and community. KVK is focused on improving the way it does business by listening to all the people who are involved in making healthcare decisions, from patients to healthcare providers.
KVK’s dedicated team is comprised of individuals with the technical, clinical and business expertise that is necessary for innovation that results in the development of a diverse range of life-changing medicines for patients of all socio-economic levels.
All of KVK’s products are made in the U.S. in a state-of-the-art facility in
About APADAZ:
APADAZ® (benzhydrocodone and acetaminophen tablets) was developed from KemPharm’s proprietary LAT (Ligand Activated Therapy) technology and is intended for the short-term (no more than 14 days) management of acute pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate. APADAZ is unique among prescription opioids in that it contains a prodrug that is chemically inert, or inactive, on its own. When ingested, enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract cleave the ligand from the prodrug (benzhydrocodone) and release the parent drug (hydrocodone), which can then exert its therapeutic effect. The final approved product labeling for APADAZ includes these and other data points but concludes that the overall results of the clinical program did not demonstrate abuse-deterrence by current measurement standards.
The approval of APADAZ via the 505(b)(2) pathway was based in part on pharmacokinetic studies with Vicoprofen®, Ultracet®, and Norco® in which APADAZ demonstrated exposure to hydrocodone and acetaminophen (APAP) that is expected to result in therapeutic effects equivalent to currently approved immediate-release hydrocodone/APAP combination products when administered orally as intended.
Indication:
APADAZ contains an opioid agonist and acetaminophen and is indicated for the short-term (no more than 14 days) management of acute pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate.
Limitations of Use:
Because of the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse with opioids, even at recommended doses, reserve APADAZ for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options [e.g., non-opioid analgesics] have not been or are not expected tolerated, or have not provided adequate analgesia, or are not expected to provide adequate analgesia.
Important Safety Information:
APADAZ is contraindicated in patients with: significant respiratory depression; acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in absence of resuscitative equipment; known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus; and hypersensitivity to hydrocodone or acetaminophen.
APADAZ contains benzhydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. APADAZ can be abused and is subject to misuse, addiction, and criminal diversion.
Potential risks associated with APADAZ include addiction, abuse, and misuse, life-threatening respiratory depression, neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, risks of concomitant use or discontinuation of cytochrome P450 CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers, acetaminophen hepatotoxicity risks from concomitant use with benzodiazepines or other central nervous system (CNS) depressants, risk of life-threatening respiratory depression in patients with chronic pulmonary disease or in elderly, cachectic, or debilitated patients, adrenal insufficiency, severe hypotension, serious skin reactions, risks of use in patients with increased intracranial pressure, brain tumors, head injury, or impaired consciousness, hypersensitivity/anaphylaxis, risks of use in patients with gastrointestinal conditions, risk of use in patients with seizure disorders, and withdrawal, risks of driving and operating machinery.
Potential drug interactions with APADAZ include:
- Serotonergic Drugs: Concomitant use may result in serotonin syndrome. Discontinue APADAZ if serotonin syndrome is suspected.
- Mixed Agonist/Antagonist and Partial Agonist Opioid Analgesics: Avoid use with APADAZ because they may reduce analgesic effect of APADAZ or precipitate withdrawal symptoms.
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs): Can potentiate the effects of hydrocodone. Avoid concomitant use in patients receiving MAOIs or within 14 days of stopping treatment with an MAOI.
Most common adverse reactions (>5%) are nausea, somnolence, vomiting, constipation, pruritus, dizziness, and headache.
The Full Prescribing Information for APADAZ contains the following Boxed Warning:
WARNING: ADDICTION, ABUSE, AND MISUSE; LIFE-THREATENING RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION; ACCIDENTAL INGESTION; NEONATAL OPIOID WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME; CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 INTERACTION; HEPATOTOXICITY; and RISKS FROM CONCOMITANT USE WITH BENZODIAZEPINES OR OTHER CNS DEPRESSANTS
Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse:
APADAZ exposes patients and other users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death. Assess each patient’s risk prior to prescribing APADAZ and monitor all patients regularly for the development of these behaviors and conditions.
Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS):
To ensure that the benefits of opioid analgesics outweigh the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse, the
- Complete a REMS-compliant education program,
- Counsel patients and/or their caregivers, with every prescription, on safe use, serious risks, storage, and disposal of these products,
- Emphasize to patients and their caregivers the importance of reading the Medication Guide every time it is provided by their pharmacist, and
- Consider other tools to improve patient, household, and community safety.
Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression:
Serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression may occur with use of APADAZ. Monitor for respiratory depression, especially during initiation of APADAZ or following a dose increase.
Accidental Ingestion:
Accidental ingestion of even one dose of APADAZ, especially by children, can result in a fatal overdose of hydrocodone.
Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome:
Prolonged use of APADAZ during pregnancy can result in neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, which may be life-threatening if not recognized and treated, and requires management according to protocols developed by neonatology experts. If prolonged opioid use is required in a pregnant woman, advise the patient of the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and ensure that appropriate treatment will be available.
Cytochrome P450 3A4 Interaction:
The concomitant use of APADAZ with all cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibitors may result in an increase in hydrocodone plasma concentrations, which could increase or prolong adverse reactions and may cause potentially fatal respiratory depression. In addition, discontinuation of a concomitantly used cytochrome P450 3A4 inducer may result in an increase in hydrocodone plasma concentration. Monitor patients receiving APADAZ and any CYP3A4 inhibitor or inducer.
Hepatotoxicity:
APADAZ contains acetaminophen. Acetaminophen has been associated with cases of acute liver failure, at times resulting in liver transplant and death. Most of the cases of liver injury are associated with the use of acetaminophen at doses that exceed 4000 milligrams per day, and often involve more than one acetaminophen-containing product.
Risks From Concomitant Use With Benzodiazepines Or Other CNS Depressants:
Concomitant use of opioids with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants, including alcohol, may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death.
- Reserve concomitant prescribing of APADAZ and benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate.
- Limit dosages and durations to the minimum required.
- Follow patients for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation.
For Important Safety Information including full prescribing information, visit: www.kempharm.com.
Caution Concerning Forward Looking Statements:
This press release may contain forward-looking statements made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts, and can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “should,” “continue” or the negative versions of those words or other comparable words. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the potential achievement of any milestones under the license and collaboration agreement, any related milestone payments, and the potential commercialization of APADAZ. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future actions or performance. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to
KemPharm Contacts: | KVK Contacts: |
Jason Rando / Joshua Drumm, Ph.D. Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc. 212-375-2665 / 2664 jrando@tiberend.com jdrumm@tiberend.com |
Kiran Vepuri KVK Tech, Inc. O: 215-579-1842 |
Source: KemPharm