NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa, June 11, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KemPharm, Inc. today presented key preclinical findings from KP511, the Company’s first-in-class oral hydromorphone prodrug, at the 2012 International Conference on Opioids. KP511 exhibited superior pharmacological and physicochemical characteristics that may suggest an improved safety profile compared to currently marketed hydromorphone products, including potential reduction or elimination of opioid-induced constipation (OIC). KP511 may also limit abuse potential due to its inherent abuse-deterrent properties as a prodrug, as well as its tamper-resistant properties, which make it difficult to extract active hydromorphone from the prodrug until it is cleaved by natural enzymes in the body. The company expects to file an IND for KP511 in mid-2013 and anticipates conducting a Phase 1 clinical proof-of-concept trial shortly after.
