CONTACT:  Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Peter A. Clemens, SVP Investor Relations & CFO  (847-705-7709)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACURA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. ANNOUNCES ISSUANCE OF U.S. PATENT FOR DETERRING ABUSE OF OPIOID CONTAINING DOSAGE FORMS

Palatine, IL, April 16, 2007: Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC.BB-ACUR), today announced receipt from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) of U.S. Patent No. 7,201,920 titled ”Methods and Compositions for Deterring Abuse of Opioid Containing Dosage Forms”.  This issued patent was the subject of the USPTO’s Notice of Allowance dated December 11, 2006 previously disclosed by the Company.  The allowed patent claims encompass pharmaceutical compositions intended to reduce or discourage the three most common methods of prescription opioid analgesic product misuse and abuse (the Company's "Aversion® Technology") including; (i) intravenous injection of dissolved tablets or capsules; (ii) snorting of crushed tablets or capsules and; (iii) intentionally swallowing excess quantities of tablets or capsules.  The opioid analgesics in the allowed patent claims include oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, morphine, codeine, tramadol, propoxyphene and many others.  At present, the Company retains ownership of all intellectual property and commercial rights to its Aversion® Technology and related product candidates. 

In addition to the issued patent (described above), the Company has pending five U.S. non-provisional patent applications, two published WO patent applications, one WO patent application pending publication, and multiple additional U.S. provisional and international patent filings relating to compositions containing opioid analgesics and other abuseable drugs. 

About Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 

Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in research, development and manufacture of innovative Aversion® (abuse deterrent) Technology and related product candidates.

 Forward Looking Statements 

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements are based on current expectations of future events.  If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the Company’s expectations and projections.  The most significant of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to secure additional financing to fund continued product development and operations, the Company’s ability to enter into contractual arrangements with qualified pharmaceutical partners to license, develop and commercialize the Company’s technology and product candidates, the Company’s ability to avoid infringement of patents, trademarks and other proprietary rights or trade secrets of third parties, and the Company’s ability to fulfill the FDA’s requirements for approving the Company’s product candidates for commercial distribution in the United States, including, without limitation, the adequacy of the results of the clinical studies completed to date and the results of other clinical studies, to support FDA approval of the Company’s product candidates, the adequacy of the development program for the Company’s product candidates, changes in regulatory requirements, adverse safety findings relating to the Company’s product candidates, the risk that the FDA may not agree with the Company’s analysis of its clinical studies and may evaluate the results of these studies by different methods or conclude that the results of the studies are not statistically significant, clinically meaningful or that there were human errors in the conduct of the studies or otherwise, the risk that further studies of the Company’s product candidates are not positive, and the uncertainties inherent in scientific research, drug development, clinical trials and the regulatory approval process.  You are encouraged to review other important risk factors relating to the Company on our web site at www.acurapharm.com under the link, “Company Risk Factors” and detailed in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The Company is at development stage and may never have any products or technologies that generate revenue.  Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments. 

 

Any questions or comments regarding Press Releases should be directed to our department of Investor Relations.

Return to the Press Release Archive