A product under development by Innocoll, Inc. for the management of post- operative pain following moderate/major abdominal, gynecological, thoracic or orthopedic surgeries, CollaRx® BUPIVACAINE IMPLANT is a biodegradable and fully resorbable Bupivacaine-Collagen Sponge formulated using Innocoll's proprietary CollaRx technology.

Normally, post-surgical pain is managed by systemic administration of narcotic analgesics like morphine - often resulting to unfavourable side effects including difficulty breathing, sedation, nausea and vomiting - thereby affecting the patients' recovery.

The CollaRx BUPIVACAINE IMPLANT is intended to provide pain control at the surgical site and thus reduce the level of additional analgesia required after surgery.

The product is comprised of a fully biodegradable and bioresorbable matrix of purified fibrillar collagen impregnated with the local anesthetic, bupivacaine.

The bioresorbable nature of the collagen matrix avoids the need for removal of a catheter by a healthcare professional, as is necessary for ambulatory pain pumps.

CollaRx® BUPIVACAINE IMPLANT can be placed directly into the surgical vault and at different layers within the wound (such as across the incision in the peritoneum and between the sheath and skin around the incision). This product naturally degrades over a few days and the bupivacaine is released to provide sustained local analgesia.

Aside from pain relief, the collagen matrix also provides haemostasis and promotes wound healing after surgery.

Innocoll, Inc. has just recently filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the USFDA for CollaRx® BUPIVACAINE IMPLANT.

Read the full press release.