Cara Therapeutics Submits NDA for KORSUVA Injection

Cara Therapeutics has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for KORSUVA™ Injection (difelikefalin) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pruritus in hemodialysis patients. KORSUVA Injection received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for this indication. Cara has requested Priority Review for the NDA which, if granted, could result in a six-month review process. The FDA has a 60-day filing review period to determine whether the NDA is complete and acceptable for filing.

“The NDA submission for KORSUVA Injection marks a significant milestone for Cara and for hemodialysis patients who suffer from intractable pruritus,” said Derek Chalmers, Ph.D., D.Sc., President and Chief Executive Officer of Cara Therapeutics. “I’d like to thank the entire Cara team for working tirelessly to bring this first-in-class therapeutic from in-house discovery, through development to the completion of NDA submission, as well as the patients, investigators and site personnel who participated in the clinical trials. We look forward to working with the FDA through the review process and, along with our commercial partner, Vifor Pharma, remain focused on preparation for the U.S. launch of KORSUVA Injection, if approved.”

CKD-aP is an intractable systemic itch condition that occurs with high frequency and intensity in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis. Pruritus has also been reported in patients with stage III-V CKD who are not on dialysis. Aggregate, longitudinal, multi-country studies estimate the weighted prevalence of CKD-aP to be approximately 40% in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), with approximately 25% of patients reporting severe pruritus. The majority of dialysis patients (approximately 60 to 70%) report pruritus, with 30 to 40% reporting moderate or severe pruritus. Recent data from the ITCH National Registry Study showed that among those with pruritus, approximately 59% experienced symptoms daily or nearly daily for more than a year. Given its association with CKD/ESRD, most afflicted patients will continue to have symptoms for months or years, with currently employed antipruritic treatments, such as antihistamines and corticosteroids, unable to provide consistent, adequate relief. Moderate-to-severe chronic pruritus has repeatedly been shown to directly decrease quality of life, contribute to symptoms that impair quality of life (such as poor sleep quality), and is associated with depression. CKD-aP is also an independent predictor of mortality among hemodialysis patients, mainly related to increased risk of inflammation and infections.