Melt Pharmaceuticals Announces First Patient Dosed in Pivotal Phase 3 Program of Its Lead Product Candidate, MELT-300, for Needle- and Opioid-Free Sedation in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery
June 06 2024 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Topline Readout Expected in Q4 2024
Melt Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Melt”), a clinical-stage
pharmaceutical company developing novel approaches for procedural
sedation, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in
its Phase 3 program evaluating the safety and efficacy of its lead
product candidate, MELT-300, a non‑IV, non-opioid tablet that
combines fixed doses of midazolam (3mg) and ketamine (50mg).
MELT-300 is administered sublingually using Catalent Inc.’s
proprietary fast‑dissolving Zydis® delivery technology to rapidly
dissolve the tablet for absorption across the sublingual
mucosa.
The MELT-300 Phase 3 clinical trial is a randomized,
double-blind, three-arm study comparing – at a 4:1:1 ratio –
MELT-300, sublingual midazolam, and sublingual placebo for
procedural sedation in 528 patients undergoing cataract surgery at
14 participating clinical sites. The topline readout is expected in
the fourth quarter of 2024.
Melt previously announced the results from its MELT-300 Phase 2
clinical trial in patients undergoing cataract surgery. The Phase 2
clinical trial compared MELT-300 against (i) sublingual placebo
alone, (ii) sublingual midazolam, and (iii) sublingual ketamine in
over 300 patients. MELT-300 was statistically superior for
procedural sedation compared to all individual comparator arms: (i)
sublingual placebo (P <0.0001), (ii) sublingual midazolam
(P=0.0129) and (iii) sublingual ketamine (P=0.0096).
In commenting on the announcement, Dr. Larry Dillaha, Chief
Executive Officer of Melt, said, “We are very excited to announce
the first dosing in our pivotal Phase 3 program. Over the past 20
years, a lack of innovation in outpatient procedural sedation has
created a significant unmet need, with IV‑administered medications
being a procedural mainstay and contributing to an increase in
opioid usage. We believe that MELT-300 could revolutionize
procedural sedation while enhancing the patient’s experience in all
sites of care by offering greater comfort without a needle stick
and by reducing exposure to opioids.”
Dr. Dillaha added, “While we are initially targeting sedation
during cataract surgery for MELT-300, estimated to be over 5
million annual procedures in the U.S. in the coming years, we
believe with further development and label expansion, MELT-300
could be utilized in over 100 million annual procedures in areas
such as dermatology, plastics, dental, gastrointestinal, and
emergency rooms.”
About Melt Pharmaceuticals
Melt Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical
company focused on developing proprietary non-opioid, non-IV,
sedation, and analgesia therapeutics for human medical procedures
in the hospital, outpatient, and in-office settings. Melt intends
to seek regulatory approval through the FDA’s 505(b)(2) regulatory
pathway for its proprietary, patented small-molecule product
candidates, where possible. Melt’s core intellectual property is
the subject of multiple granted patents in North America, Europe,
Asia, and the Middle East. Melt Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a former
subsidiary of Harrow, Inc. (Nasdaq: HROW) and was carved out as a
separately managed business in 2019. To learn more about Melt,
please visit their website, www.meltpharma.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240606803052/en/
Investor Contact: Larry Dillaha, M.D. Chief Executive
Officer ldillaha@meltpharma.com 412-877-4519
Media Contact: Deb Holliday Holliday Communications, Inc.
deb@hollidaycommunications.net
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