FDA Approves Waiver of NDA Filing Fee for Elite Pharmaceuticals

NORTHVALE, N.J., Jan. 13, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United State Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) granted Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Elite" or the “Company") (OTCBB:ELTP) a waiver of the application fee required for the filing of a New Drug Application (NDA). Under section 736(d)(1)(E) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act the FDA may grant a waiver of the $2,335,200 NDA application fee for the first human drug application that a small business submits for review.

Elite will immediately submit a 505(b)(2) New Drug Application for its lead opioid abuse-deterrent candidate ELI-200, immediate-release Oxycodone Hydrochloride 5mg, 10mg, 15 mg, 20 mg and 30mg capsules with sequestered Naltrexone Hydrochloride, for the treatment of moderate to severe pain with the United States Food and Drug Administration. FDA notification regarding acceptance of the submission for review is expected to take 6 to 12 weeks.

"Having the FDA waive the application fee is a huge benefit to Elite. We will file the ELI-200 submission immediately. I look forward to hearing from the FDA concerning a notification of the acceptance for review in the coming weeks,” said Nasrat Hakim, President and Chief Executive Officer of Elite. 

About Elite’s Abuse Deterrent Technology

Elite’s proprietary abuse deterrent technology, ART™, is a multi-particulate capsule which contains an opioid agonist in addition to naltrexone, an opioid antagonist used primarily in the management of alcohol dependence and opioid dependence. When this product is taken as intended, the naltrexone is designed to pass through the body unreleased while the opioid agonist releases as intended providing therapeutic pain relief for which it is prescribed. If the multi-particulate beads are crushed or dissolved, the opioid antagonist is designed to release and so block the effects of active opioid agonist. The absorption of the naltrexone is intended to block the euphoria by preferentially binding to the same receptors in the brain as the opioid agonist and thereby reducing the incentive for abuse or misuse by recreational drug abusers. Elite’s pharmacological approach to abuse-deterrence can be applied to a wide range of opioids used today in pain management.

About Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company which is developing a pipeline of proprietary pharmacological abuse-deterrent opioid products as well as niche generic products. Elite specializes in oral sustained and controlled release drug products which have high barriers to entry. Elite owns generic and OTC products which have been licensed to TAGI Pharma, Epic Pharma and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International. Elite currently has eight commercial products  being sold, additional  approved products pending manufacturing site transfer and a product under review pending approval by the FDA. Elite’s lead pipeline products include abuse-deterrent opioids which utilize the Company’s patented proprietary technology and a once-daily opioid. These products include sustained release oral formulations of opioids for the treatment of chronic pain. These formulations are intended to address two major limitations of existing oral opioids: the provision of consistent relief of baseline pain levels and deterrence of potential opioid abuse. Elite also provides contract manufacturing for Ascend Laboratories (a subsidiary of Alkem Laboratories Ltd.), and a Hong Kong based company for development of a branded product for the United States market and its territories. Elite operates a GMP and DEA registered facility for research, development, and manufacturing located in Northvale, NJ.

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Including those related to the effects, if any, on future results, performance or other expectations that may have some correlation to the subject matter of this press release, readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, its ability to obtain FDA approval of the transfers of the ANDAs or the timing of such approval process, delays, uncertainties, inability to obtain necessary ingredients and other factors not under the control of Elite, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Elite to be materially different from the results, performance or other expectations that may be implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and other factors, including, without limitation, the Company’s ability to obtain sufficient funding under the LPC Agreement or from other sources, the timing or results of pending and future clinical trials, regulatory reviews and approvals by the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory authorities, intellectual property protections and defenses, and the Company’s ability to operate as a going concern, are discussed in Elite's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its reports on forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. Elite undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contact:
Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Dianne Will, Investor Relations 
518-398-6222
[email protected]