Lund, Sweden, February 24, 2009 – Camurus announced today that it has received approval by the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM) to start a clinical Phase I/II trial of CAM2038, a new potential treatment for opiate addiction. The trial, which will be carried out in Germany, will investigate the tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of CAM2038 in 24 patients with opiate addiction, with the first subject expected to be recruited in the study imminently.

Fredrik Tiberg, CEO of Camurus says: "We are very enthusiastic to start the clinical development of our prospective anti-addiction drug, CAM2038, which we hope will become a significant new option for treating patients suffering from addiction to opiates."

Opiate addiction is a growing worldwide problem, including addiction to heroin and opiate analgesics. Heroin dependence is further linked to transmission of viral diseases and high crime rates. Nearly 3 million individuals in the US and Europe are addicted to opiates. It has been scientifically documented that addiction to opioids can be effectively treated through a number of interventions, including maintenance therapy with methadone and buprenorphine.

CAM2038 represents a new treatment concept for opiate addiction based on the well-documented anti-addiction therapeutic buprenorphine. While the current buprenorphine products on the market rely on frequent administrations of sublingual buprenorphine tablets, CAM2038 is based on a once-weekly or once-monthly subcutaneous administration that can be given by health-care professional in a clinical setting. This allows for better treatment compliance and safeguards against misuse and drug diversion. CAM2038 also has the potential to give more consistent therapeutic buprenorphine levels with less variability between administrations and over time.  

Camurus is a life science company providing innovative, nanoscale drug-delivery systems for development of new and improved, high-value therapeutics. The company’s FluidCrystal® gel and nanoparticle delivery technologies range from long-acting in-situ forming depots for small molecules and peptides to lipid nanocarriers designed for intravenous, oral and transdermal delivery. These are used in developments programs with biotech and pharma companies worldwide. Camurus also develops drug products targeting improved performance, safety, and patient compliance of existing drug compounds and currently has four products in clinical development.

For more information, please contact
Fredrik Tiberg
President & CEO
Tel: +46 (0)46-286 46 92

Liselotte Larsson
Senior Director, Business Development & Alliances
Tel: +46 (0)46-286 57 38