Grünenthal announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Averitas Pharma, Inc., has completed recruitment for the Phase III clinical trial AV001. The trial investigates the efficacy, safety and tolerability of QUTENZA® (capsaicin) 8% topical system in post-surgical neuropathic pain (PSNP) and if successful could support an extension of the U.S. label.
"Patients who undergo surgery and end up developing post-surgical neuropathic pain, may experience debilitating complications that often are not treated appropriately," says Lizandra Marcondes, M.D., PhD, Senior VP Medical Affairs & Drug Safety US, Averitas Pharma. "We believe QUTENZA® may be a clinically meaningful treatment option that could address the unmet needs of many patients in the United States who suffer from Post-surgical neuropathic pain and may not be satisfied with available oral, systemically acting medicines. We look forward to completing the Clinical Trial with the goal to file a supplemental new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2026, assuming positive data."
AV001 is a randomized, double-blind 42-week trial including 410 patients who have been suffering from moderate to severe PSNP for at least six months. The primary endpoint of the trial is a reduction in the average pain intensity after 12 weeks compared to baseline. In addition, the trial assesses other outcomes including reduction in the average pain intensity after 42-weeks, progressive response over time with repeated treatment, reduction of the treatment area over several applications, and quality of life outcomes such as sleep interference, physical activity, anxiety, and depression. When completed, AV001 will be the first blinded randomized controlled trial in post-surgical neuropathic pain that evaluates the long-term treatment effects of a topical neuropathic pain treatment.
"The completion of enrollment is an exciting milestone. With our current indications, adults with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the feet and postherpetic neuralgia, we have advanced the trajectory of QUTENZA® in the U.S. by expanding access to a much-needed non-opioid therapy option for a large, underserved patient population," adds Marv Kelly, President Averitas Pharma. "By adding post-surgical neuropathic pain to the U.S. label if results are positive, we would have the potential to fill an unmet treatment need for additional patients in pain."
When Grünenthal acquired the US-rights for Qutenza® in 2018, the US-label comprised the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia. Since then, Grünenthal re-launched the product and significantly increased patients' access to Qutenza®. In 2020, the U.S. FDA approved the product for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) of the feet in adults. With AV001, Grünenthal and Averitas hope to include another major indication in the field of peripheral neuropathic pain in the U.S. label. Topline results are anticipated in Q4 2025 and, assuming positive data, Averitas Pharma aims to submit a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) in 2026.
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