Anesiva Initiates New Phase 2 Trial of Adlea(TM) for Pain Relief Following Knee Replaceme...( Adlea May Provide Pain Relief Withou...),Health

Adlea May Provide Pain Relief Without Opiate-Like Side Effects For Several

Months Following a Single Administration

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Anesiva, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANSV) today announced that it has initiated a new Phase 2 study of Adlea(TM) (formerly 4975) for the relief of post-operative pain in patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery, also called total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Adlea is a long-acting, non-opiate analgesic drug designed to provide pain relief for weeks to months after a single local administration during the surgical procedure.

"Given the positive preliminary results from our studies of Adlea in a number of clinical settings, we believe that Adlea offers a unique profile of powerful pain reduction without the side effects common to many medicines for moderate to severe pain," said John P. McLaughlin, chief executive officer of Anesiva. "In total knee replacement surgery, up to 80 percent of these patients will experience moderate to severe pain following this surgery with current pain medications as well as the side effects associated with those pain medicines, such as vomiting, nausea and sedation. We believe Adlea may offer significant and continuous lasting relief from the moderate to severe pain that commonly follows this procedure. We look forward to obtaining additional results in this indication."

Previously, the company successfully studied a 5mg dose of Adlea in patients who had completed total knee replacement. The new trial will evaluate a higher dose of Adlea-15mg-relative to 5mg and placebo in a double-blind, multi-center study of approximately 80 TKA patients. This 15mg dose equates to a higher drug con
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