Cara gets $1.5M from Maruishi amid Japan approval of KORSUVA injection syringe

Cara Therapeutics announced that its licensing partner Maruishi Pharmaceutical received manufacturing and marketing approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for KORSUVA IV Injection Syringe for the treatment of pruritus in hemodialysis patients. Cara earned a $1.5M milestone payment upon approval, per the terms of the licensing agreement. “We are pleased that our first-in-class therapy KORSUVA injection will be available to hemodialysis patients in Japan who are suffering from pruritus,” said Christopher Posner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cara Therapeutics. “As we work toward establishing Cara Therapeutics as the leader in the treatment of chronic pruritus, we will continue to collaborate with our partners to address the significant unmet need for an effective antipruritic treatment for chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis worldwide.”…KORSUVA is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pruritus associated with chronic kidney disease in adults undergoing hemodialysis. It is approved by the European Commission under the brand name Kapruvia. The product is also approved in additional countries. Cara’s partner CSL Vifor has commercialization rights in all territories except Japan and South Korea.