Sandoz enters agreement to develop non-opioid pain relief

Sandoz has entered into a development and commercialisation agreement with pharmaceutical company Durect to develop the drug Posimir (Saber-bupivacaine).

Posimir is a non-opioid analgesic which provides up to three days of pain relief after surgery.

According to a statement released on Monday, May 8, Sandoz will make an upfront payment to Durect of $20 million, with the potential for an additional $43 million in development and regulatory milestones.

Durect will also receive up to a further $230 million in sales-based milestones.

Under the agreement, Durect will remain responsible for the completion of the clinical trial for Posimir.

James Brown, president of Durect, said: “We believe that Posimir has the potential to become a cornerstone of multi-modal post-operative pain management.”

He added: “As a non-opioid local analgesic, we believe Posimir may be an important contributor to the ongoing efforts to reduce the  use of opioid-based medications following surgery.”

The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2017.

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