Heron’s Hernia Pain Reliever Significantly Lowered Opioid Consumption in Phase II Trial

Heron Therapeutics presented initial results of a Phase II study of HTX-011 in patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair, demonstrating a 29.5 percent reduction in pain with a 400 mg dose compared to placebo.

In patients treated with 400 mg of HTX-011, mean total opioid consumption decreased by 22.4 percent through 96 hours post-surgery, and the number of patients who were opioid-free through 96 hours was substantially higher, at 24.1 compared to 6.5 percent with placebo.

The study evaluated three formulations of HTX-011 and two routes of administration into the wound, injection and instillation, and found that instillation was equally effective in reducing pain as injection. The results were presented at the PAINWeek conference. Heron is currently preparing for a broader Phase III registration program.