- Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (IRWD +1.9%) will co-promote VIBERZI (eluxadoline) in the U.S. with Allergan (AGN +1.5%) as soon as the product receives its final scheduling designation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The FDA recommended that it be classified as a controlled substance.
- Under the terms of the agreement, Ironwood's sales force will detail VIBERZI to the same 25,000 healthcare providers that it currently details LINZESS and Cologuard. Ironwood will be compensated based on the number of calls made by the sales group as well as unspecified performance metrics. Allergan will be responsible for all other commercialization costs related to VIBERZI.
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VIBERZI is a mu-opioid receptor agonist indicated for the treatment of adult patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D). In a drug discrimination study, intravenous administration of eluxadoline hydrochloride produced full generalization to the morphine cue. In a self-administration study in monkeys, eluxadoline hydrochloride was self-administered to a degree less than half for heroin but greater than saline. Two human abuse studies of oral and intranasal doses of showed a rate of euphoria of 14 - 28% compared to 44 - 76% for oxycodone.