QRxPharma Granted US Patent On Hybrid Opioids

SYDNEY and BEDMINSTER, N.J., June 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- QRxPharma Limited (ASX: QRX andOTCQX: QRXPY) announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued the Company U.S. Patent #8,461,171 ("'171 patent") titled "Hybrid Opioid Compounds and Compositions," which expires in 2031.  This patent covers a hybrid morphine-oxycodone molecule where these two different opioids are chemically linked. The '171 patent covers the development of new chemical entities that have the potential to provide better pain relief and fewer side effects than their individual components.  The Company has related patents pending both internationally and in the United States.

"This patent expands our intellectual property (IP) position and protects next generation Dual-Opioid^® combination products that are chemically unique," said Dr. John Holaday, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.  "Further, issuance of this patent enhances our long-term market exclusivity for QRxPharma's Dual-Opioid^® products for the treatment of acute and chronic pain."

Immediate release MOXDUO^® is a combination of two separate opioid salts in the same capsule, and is presently under review at the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain.  By contrast, this newly issued patent covers different opioid combinations that when linked together offer a new composition of matter having activity that is greater than equimolar amounts of the molecules administered separately. 

About QRxPharma
QRxPharma Limited is an Australian based, commercial-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of new treatments for pain management. The Company's product portfolio includes both late and early stage clinical drug candidates with the potential for reduced risk, abbreviated development paths, and improved patient outcomes.  The Company's lead product candidate, immediate release MOXDUO^® for the treatment of acute pain, is presently under review at the US Food and Drug Administration. QRxPharma entered into strategic collaborations with Actavis Inc. in December 2011 and Paladin Labs Inc. in October 2012 for the commercialisation of immediate release MOXDUO^® in the US and Canadian acute pain markets respectively. Additionally, the Company's clinical pipeline includes an intravenous (IV) and continuous release (CR) formulation of MOXDUO. For more information, visit www.qrxpharma.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they include statements about our beliefs and expectations. Any statement in this release that states our intentions, beliefs, expectations or predictions (and the assumptions underlying them) is a forward-looking statement. These statements are based on plans, estimates and projections as they are currently available to the management of QRxPharma. Forward-looking statements therefore speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could therefore cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Such factors include risks relating to the stage of products under development; uncertainties relating to clinical trials; dependence on third parties; future capital needs; and risks relating to the commercialisation of the Company's proposed products.

SOURCE QRxPharma Limited