Egalet Corp., the Wayne based biotech company that specializes in the development of abuse-deterrent pain medication, is gearing up for more sales by expanding its sales department with the addition of 21 sales representatives.

They will join the existing team of 50 people who are already promoting its two approved pain medicines, Sprix and Oxaydo. However, Egalet is not just focused on increasing the market share for its two existing products and is already gearing up to seek approval for a third.

So far this year, the firm has launched Sprix, a pain relieving nasal spray for patients in moderate to moderately severe pain and Oxaydo, an oral pain relieving tablet that is formulated to prevent abuse by deterring snorting, which entered the market earlier this month. The rights to both products were acquired by Egalet in separate deals at the start of this year.

During an analysts meeting held on Monday in New York, company officials said that Sprix prescriptions are expected to rise to 1,466 for the third quarter, which would represent an increase of 70 percent over the second quarter of the year.

Egalet also mentioned a successful pre-NDA meeting, which was held in August with the Food and Drug Administration, on the subject of the company’s pending new drug application for an abuse-deterrent, extended-release, oral morphine formulation, Arymo. The company expects that an application seeking approval for Arymo will be filed during the fourth quarter.

In addition to the two already approved products and the one pending approval, Egalet’s pipeline also includes Egalet-003, an experimental abuse-deterrent stimulant, which is on a track for a new drug application in the second half of next year, as well as an abuse-deterrent, extended release, oral oxycodone formulation which is currently in late stage clinical testing.

Considering the ever increasing need for prevention of opioid abuse, the focus that Egalet is putting on abuse-deterrent features is being welcomed throughout the medical profession and should prove to be very profitable for the company in the long run.

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