MONTREAL, QUEBEC–(Marketwired – March 13, 2017) – Knight Therapeutics Inc. (TSX:GUD) (“Knight”), a leading Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today the commercial relaunch of MOVANTIK, indicated for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (“OIC”) in adult patients with non-cancer pain who have had an inadequate response to laxative(s)1.
Opioid binding to receptors within the gastrointestinal tract can lead to physiologic effects that may lead to OIC. According to the Canadian Family Physician Practice Guideline, it is estimated that at least 26% of chronic opioid users suffer from OIC2. MOVANTIK acts primarily on mu-opioid receptors in the gut and counteracts OIC with limited impact on opioid-mediated analgesic effects on the central nervous system at the intended therapeutic doses1.
“MOVANTIK represents our first commercial specialty product in Canada,” said Jonathan Ross Goodman, CEO of Knight Therapeutics Inc. “MOVANTIK’s targeted mechanism of action offers an additional therapeutic option for healthcare professionals managing patients with OIC and it fits seamlesly with Knight’s portfolio of pain supportive therapeutics.”
Knight obtained the exclusive license to market and sell MOVANTIK in Canada and Israel from AstraZeneca in December 2016.
About MOVANTIK®
MOVANTIK is a peripherally-acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist (PAMORA) for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in adult patients with non-cancer pain who have had an inadequate response to laxative(s). It is the first once-daily oral peripherally-acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist (PAMORA) to be approved in Canada. In Phase III clinical studies, MOVANTIK was administered as a once-daily tablet and was designed to block the binding of opioids to opioid receptors in tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract.
The KODIAC clinical programme was comprised of four studies: KODIAC-4, -5, -7 and -8. KODIAC-4 and -5 were identically designed, placebo controlled, double-blind, 12 week studies assessing safety and efficacy, while KODIAC-7 was a 12-week safety extension to KODIAC-4, and KODIAC-8 was a 52-week long-term safety study.
About Knight Therapeutics Inc.
Knight Therapeutics Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Canada, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring or in-licensing innovative pharmaceutical products for the Canadian and select international markets. Knight Therapeutics Inc.’s shares trade on TSX under the symbol GUD. For more information about Knight Therapeutics Inc., please visit the company’s web site at www.gud-knight.com or www.sedar.com.
Reference
- MOVANTIK® Product Monograph, 12.5 mg and 25 mg naloxegol as naloxegol oxalate, peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist, December 6, 2016.
- Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain.
Forward-Looking Statement
This document contains forward-looking statements for Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries. These forward looking statements, by their nature, necessarily involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Knight Therapeutics Inc. considers the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based to be reasonable at the time they were prepared, but cautions the reader that these assumptions regarding future events, many of which are beyond the control of Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries, may ultimately prove to be incorrect. Factors and risks, which could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations are discussed in Knight Therapeutics Inc.’s Annual Report and in Knight Therapeutics Inc.’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2015. Knight Therapeutics Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events, except as required by law.
Jeffrey Kadanoff, P.Eng., MBA
Chief Financial Officer
514-484-GUD1 (4831)
514-481-4116 (FAX)
info@gudknight.com
www.gudknight.com