An innovative pain treatment will be tested in one of the largest clinical trials in cancer pain

Aachen (ots) - More than 500 patients, who suffer from severe
chronic pain related to cancer in can participate in one of the
largest trials in cancer pain in 145 hospitals spread over 21
countries world-wide.

Many cancer patients suffer from severe chronic pain related to
their cancer. Unfortunately many of these patients are not satisfied
with their current treatment options for the management of their pain
due to the limitations of these treatments.(1) The German
pharmaceutical company Grünenthal is investigating the efficacy and
safety of the new analgesic cebranopadol for the treatment of severe
chronic pain and peripheral neuropathic pain. Patients suffering from
cancer-related severe pain are encouraged to check if they qualify to
participate in a large cancer pain phase III trial, the so-called
CORAL trial. The CORAL trial aims to show that the investigational
drug cebranopadol can provide equally strong analgesia as a standard
strong opioid in cancer patients while causing considerably less side
effects. As the first trial of cebranopadol's phase III clinical
program, referred to as the OCEANIC PROGRAM®, Grünenthal will start
the CORAL trial in 145 hospitals spread over 21 countries, including
the United Kingdom. More than 500 patients are planned to complete
this trial by 2016. More information about the CORAL trial and
participating hospitals is available at www.oceanic-program.com

In the CORAL trial, patients suffering from severe chronic pain
related to cancer are treated with cebranopadol or with morphine to
compare their efficacy and safety. In many countries morphine is
considered as the standard therapy for the treatment of cancer pain,
but has numerous limitations for patients on e.g. side-effects.
Therefore, the CORAL trial is designed to evaluate which additional
benefits cebranopadol can provide to patients suffering from severe
chronic pain related to cancer, compared to morphine.

"Cebranopadol is the latest development from our R&D pipeline",
Dr. Klaus-Dieter Langner, Chief Scientific Officer and member of the
Corporate Executive Board at Grünenthal explained. "We at Grünenthal
strive for a continuous improvement of the quality of life for our
patients. For patients suffering from severe chronic pain related to
cancer, we hope the CORAL trial will demonstrate that it is possible
to improve their situation. Therefore we call on patients with severe
cancer-related pain to participate in the CORAL trial to help us to
further understand the potential of this new medicine and bring this
to the patient as soon as possible."

About cebranopadol

Cebranopadol was discovered by scientists at Grünenthal, a
pharmaceutical company based in Germany. It is now being developed
internationally for the treatment of different pain conditions by
Grünenthal and its development partner Forest Laboratories, Inc., a
pharmaceutical company based in the United States. Cebranopadol is
currently in clinical development and is not yet approved or
registered in any country, which means that it is not publicly
available, not even in pharmacies.

Cebranopadol is a novel analgesic working as a NOP and opioid
receptor agonist. Analgesics currently available such as oxycodone,
morphine, and fentanyl act on the µ-opioid receptor, but not on the
NOP receptor. Based on preclinical studies, cebranopadol has strong
and broad analgesic activity in a variety of animal models of acute,
inflammatory, visceral, neuropathic, and cancer pain and induces
fewer side-effects than pure mu-opioids. The unique mode of action of
cebranopadol may be particularly well suited for the management of
moderate to severe chronic pain related to cancer, including
neuropathic pain. More information at www.oceanic-program.com

About Grünenthal

The Grünenthal Group is an independent, family-owned,
international research-based pharmaceutical company headquartered in
Aachen, Germany. Building on its unique position in pain treatment,
its objective is to become the most patient-centric company in the
field of pain and thus to be a leader in therapy innovation.
Grünenthal is one of the last five remaining research-oriented
pharmaceutical companies with headquarters in Germany which
sustainably invests in research and development. Research and
development costs amounted to about 27 percent of revenues in 2013.
Grünenthal's research and development strategy concentrates on
selected fields of therapy and state-of-the-art technologies. We are
intensely focused on discovering new ways to treat pain better and
more effectively, with fewer side-effects than current therapies.
Altogether, the Grünenthal Group has affiliates in 25 countries
worldwide. Grünenthal products are sold in more than 155 countries
and approx. 5,500 employees are working for the Grünenthal Group
worldwide. In 2013, Grünenthal achieved revenues of E901 mn.

References:

1. Breivik H, Collett B. Survey of chronic pain in Europe:
Prevalence, impact on daily life and treatment. European
Journal of Pain 2006; 287-333

Contact:
Frank Schönrock, Vice President Public Engagement
Tel.: +49 241 569-1568, Fax: +49 241 569-3539,
frank.schoenrock@grunenthal.com

Grünenthal GmbH, 52099 Aachen, Germany, www.grunenthal.com