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Vifor Fresenius, Cara Therapeutics enter license deal for itch therapy

Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma Ltd., or VFMCRP, and Cara Therapeutics Inc. entered a licensing deal for Korsuva, which is being investigated as a therapy for itching in certain kidney disease patients.

Under the deal, VFMCRP secured the right to commercialize the Korsuva injection to treat itching related to chronic kidney disease in hemodialysis patients worldwide, excluding the U.S., Japan and South Korea.

VFMCRP also received the first right of negotiation for using Korsuva, also known as difelikefalin and CR845, for treating post-operative pain outside of the U.S., Japan and South Korea.

A phase 3 program evaluating Korsuva for the indication was started in September 2015.

Stamford, Conn.-based Cara Therapeutics will receive an up-front payment of $50 million and an equity investment of $20 million. The company will also be eligible to receive milestone payments and tiered royalties on Korsuva net sales in the licensed territories, once commercialized.

Cara Therapeutics will also retain development and commercialization rights for Korsuva for treating chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus in the U.S.

VFMCRP is a joint company of Vifor Pharma AG and Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA. Cara will only promote the therapy in clinics in the U.S. not owned by Fresenius Medical Care, while VFMCRP and Cara will promote the therapy to Fresenius Medical Care North America dialysis clinics under a profit-sharing deal.

Korsuva is a kappa opioid receptor antagonist that targets pain and inflammation without side effects such as hallucination or opioid addiction, Vifor said in a news release. The drug was granted breakthrough therapy designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017.