Archimedes Pharma Receives European Marketing Authorisation for PecFent® for the Treatment of Breakthrough Cancer Pain
Reading, UK, September 1
Archimedes Pharma Ltd., a leading international specialty pharma company, today announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for its lead product, PecFent*, an innovative fentanyl nasal spray for the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP) in adults who are already receiving maintenance opioid therapy for chronic cancer pain.
Breakthrough cancer pain is sudden, unpredictable episodes of pain that are severe to excruciating in intensity; it affects 24% to 95% (average 62%) of all cancer patients despite background pain medication.i Episodes can often reach maximum intensity in five minutes typically lasting 30-60 minutes.ii Most people who have breakthrough cancer pain experience several episodes a day.
PecFent contains fentanyl, a highly potent opioid analgesic and uses an Archimedes Pharma nasal drug delivery system (PecSysTM) to deliver fentanyl in a rapid but controlled manner designed to match the time course of the typical breakthrough pain episode. In two randomized, well-controlled, double blind, phase III clinical trials, PecFent demonstrated onset of pain relief as early as five minutes as well as clinically meaningful pain relief within 10 minutes.
Click here to read Archimedes' news release.