Shares of Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc. rose 8.49 percent Monday, closing at $4.60 on news that the Greenburgh-based drug manufacturer will get a new Food and Drug Administration approval for its drug Relistor.
The FDA approved the use of a Relistor injection for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in patients taking painkillers for chronic noncancer pain
Relistor, which is Progenics’ first product, is marketed by Salix Pharmaceuticals Inc., based in Raleigh, N.C.
The FDA Office of Drug Evaluation III responded to Salix”™s formal appeal filed in 2012, stating in a letter, “Salix”™s request that FDA approve the supplemental NDA for Relistor subcutaneous injection for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in patients with chronic noncancer pain based on the submitted data is granted.”
Bill Forbes, Salix’s chief development officer and executive vice president of medical, research and development, said, “The approval and availability of Relistor for this expanded use will be an important and welcomed advancement for treating the underlying cause of opioid-induced constipation experienced by many patients taking opioids for chronic noncancer pain.”
