U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams Discusses Opioid Alternatives and the Importance of Partnerships at Heron Therapeutics
Nov 12, 2018, 16:01 ET
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: HRTX), a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing best-in-class treatments to address some of the most important unmet patient needs, today hosted a fireside chat with the U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H. It was a familiar venue for Dr. Adams, as he continues to visit communities across the country and advocate for forming non-traditional partnerships with businesses, faith-based communities and law enforcement agencies to tackle the opioid crisis.
"Addressing the opioid crisis with all the resources possible and the best science we have is a top priority for me as Surgeon General and for everyone at HHS," said U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H. "My motto is better health through better partnerships, and underneath that umbrella I believe it is important to foster new partnerships to create a future in which far fewer Americans suffer from pain or opioid addiction."
During their meeting with the Surgeon General, Heron leaders and staff discussed the need for new and innovative opioid-free postoperative pain control, as well as the ways that science can help the nation find newer and smarter ways out of an epidemic that resulted in more than 42,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2016 according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"In the U.S., opioid pain medications prescribed for pain control in over 40 million surgical patients have been directly linked to over 2 million new persistent opioid users every year, and over 400,000 new cases of Opioid Use Disorder annually. This makes postoperative opioid use an important contributor to the opioid epidemic," said Barry D. Quart, Pharm.D., Chief Executive Officer of Heron Therapeutics. "While treatment of those already addicted is critical, we also need to focus on preventing addiction. We are excited to join Dr. Adams in shifting the nation's attention to be more focused on preventing new cases of addiction by significantly reducing opioid use in the hospital setting and reducing the number of opioid pills in household medicine cabinets."
Event attendees also thanked Dr. Adams for issuing an update on the opioid crisis, "Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Spotlight on Opioids." It is the latest assembly of information and resources to help prevent opioid-related deaths and promote recovery from addiction.
About Heron Therapeutics, Inc.
Heron Therapeutics, Inc. is a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing best-in-class treatments to address some of the most important unmet patient needs. Heron is developing novel, patient-focused solutions that apply its innovative science and technologies to already-approved pharmacological agents for patients suffering from cancer or pain.
For more information, visit www.herontx.com.
About HTX-011 for Postoperative Pain
HTX-011, which utilizes Heron's proprietary Biochronomer® drug delivery technology, is an investigational, long-acting, extended-release formulation of the local anesthetic bupivacaine in a fixed-dose combination with the anti-inflammatory meloxicam for the management of postoperative pain. By delivering sustained levels of both a potent anesthetic and a local anti-inflammatory agent, directly to the site of tissue injury, HTX-011 is designed to deliver superior pain relief for 72 hours, including severe pain, while reducing and potentially eliminating the need for systemic opioids, which carry the risk of harmful side effects, abuse and addiction. HTX-011 has been shown to reduce pain, significantly better than bupivacaine or placebo in five diverse surgical models: hernia repair, bunionectomy, total knee arthroplasty, abdominoplasty and breast augmentation. HTX-011 was granted Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the fourth quarter of 2017 and Breakthrough Therapy designation in the second quarter of 2018. Heron recently submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the FDA for HTX-011.
Forward-looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Heron cautions readers that forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this news release and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, those associated with: acceptance of the HTX-011 NDA as submitted; whether the FDA approves the HTX-011 NDA as submitted; the anticipated commercial launch of HTX-011; and other risks and uncertainties identified in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements reflect our analysis only on their stated date, and Heron takes no obligation to update or revise these statements except as may be required by law.
Investor Relations and Media Contact:
David Szekeres
Senior VP, General Counsel, Business Development and Corporate Secretary
Heron Therapeutics, Inc.
[email protected]
858-251-4447
SOURCE Heron Therapeutics, Inc.