Opium Dependence

One of the major reasons patients are prescribed opioids, which can be highly addictive, is because of musculoskeletal pain. Indeed, about 21% of patients seeking care for musculoskeletal (MSK) pain are prescribed opioids at their initial visit. “It’s MSK conditions that are a huge driver of patients receiving opioids in the first place and then subsequently developing an opioid use disorder,” said Dr. Mary O’Connor, chief medical officer and co-founder of Vori Health, a virtual MSK provider. “So if you were going to pick one population of patients to target, it would be the MSK population.” That’s why Vori Health is teaming up with Ophelia, a digital provider of opioid use disorder treatment. The companies announced the partnership last week. Nashville, Tennessee-based Vori Health offers physical medicine and rehabilitation care (which helps restore functional ability), physical therapy, prescriptions, imaging and lab ordering, health coaching, nutrition support and other services. It serves employers and health plans. New York City-based Ophelia primarily works with insurers and offers medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, as well as counseling and behavioral health support. Through the new partnership, Vori Health will be able to refer its patients who report having an opioid addiction to Ophelia. On the flip side, Ophelia can refer its patients who report having MSK pain to Vori Health for non-opioid treatment. This may include physical therapy, sleep support and pain education. The companies can then collaborate on patients’ care through shared clinical notes. “When you consider the fact that most of our patients are disengaged with the healthcare system up until they find Ophelia, it’s easy to understand that they’ve got a lot of conditions that have gone untreated for a while,” said Zack Gray, CEO and co-founder of Ophelia. “Their opioid use disorder was top of the priority list but once that is stable and under control, the other problems start to rise to the top of their priority list. We see it as our job to make sure that we can either treat those conditions or help them get treatment for those conditions.” Gray added that opioids are often needlessly prescribed. “I think it’s well understood that the opioid epidemic as we know it accelerated with excess prescribing of addictive painkillers over the last decade,” he said. “I say overprescribing because a lot of the prescribing that happened and frankly still happens is unnecessary.” There is no shared revenue between Vori Health and Ophelia. Instead, the two companies will bill insurance separately for their services. However, Gray and O’Connor noted that this could change in the future and that there may be an opportunity for a deeper partnership. Ophelia and Vori Health aren’t the only companies in their respective areas. Other virtual companies that treat addiction include Bicycle Health and Boulder Care, which both provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Sword Health and Hinge Health are both digital solutions that support patients with musculoskeletal pain through exercise support and physical therapy. In working together, Ophelia and Vori Health aim to ultimately drive positive outcomes for patients, O’Connor said. “If we are helping patients improve their MSK condition and get them off of their opioids, that’s a huge win for the patient, for their family and for their community,” she stated.

NSCLC is the most widespread cancer in China. Credit: Egor_Kulinich / Shutterstock.com. Dizal has received approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for sunvozertinib to treat adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion (Exon20ins) mutations. Sunvozertinib is intended for patients whose disease has advanced on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Recommended Reports Reports China Contract Manufacturing Market Outlook - Trends, Ambitions, Key Players, Investment and Valu... GlobalData Reports LOA and PTSR Model - TRV-734 in Opium Withdrawal Syndrome GlobalData View all Companies Intelligence National Medical Products Administration View all Discovered by Dizal scientists, sunvozertinib is an irreversible EGFR inhibitor designed to target a range of EGFR mutations with wild-type EGFR selectivity. The approval from NMPA was based on the data from the pivotal study, WU-KONG6, which evaluated sunvozertinib in pretreated NSCLC patients with EGFR Exon20ins mutations. The trial included 97 patients treated with the recommended Phase II dose of 300mg QD [four times per day]. WU-KONG6’s primary endpoint was a confirmed objective response rate (cORR). The resulting rate was 60.8%, a significant improvement on current treatment options. Dizal CEO and chairman Xiaolin Zhang stated: “Sunvozertinib represents a groundbreaking achievement as the first Chinese innovative drug approved for EGFR Exon20ins NSCLC, showcasing Dizal’s remarkable efficiency and unwavering commitment to innovation. “Our achievement of obtaining NDA approval in less than four years from enrolling the first patient sets an unprecedented benchmark for the rapid development of targeted lung cancer treatments. “Furthermore, the commercial launch of sunvozertinib represents a significant milestone for Dizal, underscoring our capabilities from research and development to commercialisation.” NSCLC is the most widespread cancer in China, with the highest rates of both incidence and mortality.

AstraZeneca’s Forxiga is indicated for treating individuals with chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and HFrEF in more than 100 countries globally. Credit: AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca has received approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for Forxiga (dapagliflozin) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality, hospital admission for heart failure (HF), or urgent HF visits. The treatment is indicated for usage in adult patients with symptomatic chronic HF. Recommended Reports Reports China Contract Manufacturing Market Outlook - Trends, Ambitions, Key Players, Investment and Valu... GlobalData Reports LOA and PTSR Model - TRV-734 in Opium Withdrawal Syndrome GlobalData View all Companies Intelligence AstraZeneca Plc National Medical Products Administration View all The latest development is based on positive data from the Phase III DELIVER clinical trial. Based on data from the pooled analysis of the Phase III DELIVER and DAPA-HF trials, dapagliflozin is the first HF therapy to show a mortality benefit in complete ejection fraction ranges. Forxiga earlier received approval in China for HF patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Forxiga can now be used in the region for adults with symptomatic chronic HF, irrespective of their ejection fraction status. AstraZeneca executive vice-president and biopharmaceuticals business unit president Ruud Dobber stated: “This broader indication for Forxiga in adults with symptomatic chronic heart failure across the full ejection fraction range is a significant advancement for patients. “It represents an exciting turning point in the battle against heart failure, given the unmet treatment needs and the absence until now of treatments that reduce mortality in this setting.” In February 2023, the European Commission approved Forxiga to treat symptomatic chronic HFrEF . Forxiga is an oral, once-a-day human sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor. It is indicated for treating individuals with chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and HFrEF in more than 100 countries globally.