KemPharm expands pain therapy pipeline with discovery of KP746

US clinical-stage specialty pharma company KemPharm (Nasdaq: KMPH) saw its shares rise 4.77% to $20.00 in early trading, after it said it plans to initiate development of KP746, a recently identified oral prodrug of oxymorphone.

Oxymorphone, marketed under the brand name Opana, is a commonly prescribed drug for the management of pain in patients where an opioid analgesic is appropriate.  KP746 has the potential to be the first approved prodrug of oxymorphone.

Based on preclinical studies of KP746, KemPharm believes that the prodrug may offer enhanced bioavailability at typical therapeutic doses and abuse-deterrent features in comparison to standard oxymorphone. Specifically, based on preclinical studies, KemPharm believes KP746 may be highly tamper-resistant and may be stable under conditions that can potentially defeat many other abuse-deterrent technologies, suggesting greatly reduced intranasal bioavailability and minimal to no release of oxymorphone when administered intravenously.