Phosphagenics moving to phase II for TPM/oxycodone

Phosphagenics (ASX:POH) will progress to phase II trials of pain patch TPM/oxycodone, after successfully completing a phase I study.

The phase I clinical trial confirmed that the patch was able to deliver oxycodone over a 72-hour period.

Results from the study will be used to help inform the company’s commercial plan for TPM/oxycodone and the rest of its pain patch portfolio.

Phosphagenics Chief Scientific Officer Dr Paul Gavin said the results show that TPM/oxyocone could be appropriate for multiple types of pain.

“In addition to previously identified pain models such as osteoarthritis, the patch also appears suitable for harder to treat conditions such as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), a model of neuropathic pain,” he said.

Opioids account for roughly 29% of the market for neuropathic pain treatments, and the market is under-served because neuropathic pain is difficult to treat.

The company now plans to convene a medical advisory panel to select the first pain indication to prioritise and then seek ethics approval for a phase II trial into the efficacy of TPM/oxycodone in treating the indication. The company aims to conduct the trial in 1H14.

Phosphagenics is also developing TPM/oxymorphone using the same drug delivery technology. This product is at the trial stage, with another phase I trial due to commence this quarter.

The company’s pain portfolio also includes anti-inflammatory TPM/diclofenac. A TPM/disclofenac product has been licensed to Themis Medicare, which has sub-licensed it to Novartis India. Japan’s Nippon Zoki is also evaluating the product.

Phosphagenics shares were trading 8.7% lower at $0.105 as of around 1 pm on Monday.