BRIEF—Trevena partners with Jiangsu Nhwa to target Chinese opioid market

US-based Trevena and China’s Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceutical have agreed a deal to develop and sell Trevena’s investigational product oliceridine, which is currently under review by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Trevena will receive near-term payments of $5.5 million, including an upfront payment of $2.5 million and a milestone payment of $3 million upon US regulatory approval.

Additional approval and commercialization milestones and 10% royalties on all product sales in China are also due.

Oliceridine is an opioid injection being developed for the management of moderate-to-severe acute pain.

Chief executive Maxine Gowen said Nhwa had “a strong track record of developing and commercializing medicines targeting the CNS, including anesthetics and IV opioid analgesics for the hospital market,” adding: “We look forward to working with their team to make oliceridine a successful product in China.”