Study Objective

To assess the safety and tolerability of Acurox (oxycodone/niacin) Tablets in comparison to oxycodone HCl tablets without niacin.

Design Summary

Study 103 was conducted in 66 healthy adult male and female volunteers. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups (22 subjects per treatment group). A run-in phase was conducted on an outpatient basis for five days and included at-home dosing four times daily and adverse event and tolerability assessments. The treatment phase followed the run-in phase and was conducted on an inpatient basis for five days. The treatment phase included dosing with Acurox Tablets (with or without niacin) and post-treatment safety and tolerability assessments. Efficacy (the tolerability of Acurox was evaluated with a Side Effects and Symptoms Questionnaire (SESQ) and an Acurox Tolerability Rating Scale. Safety was evaluated by adverse events and clinical laboratory and vital signs assessments were conducted periodically during the study.

Results Summary

During the run-in phase, comparable tolerability was demonstrated in subjects who took Acurox Tablets with and without niacin. The mean post-dose SESQ total score during the run-in phase was very low in all groups (highest possible score = 33; Group results = 0.84 – 1.6) indicating that Acurox was generally well-tolerated when taken at recommended doses. During the treatment phase, 64% of subjects in Groups 2 and 3 (oxycodone HCl + niacin) reported side effects and symptoms and 50% of subjects in Group 1 (oxycodone alone) reported side effects and symptoms. Most of the side effects and symptoms observed during the treatment phase were mild or moderate in severity. Irrespective of treatment group, approximately three quarters of subjects reported either “no effect” or “easy to tolerate” on the Acurox Tolerability Rating Scale. Oxycodone HCl administered four times a day, with or without niacin, was determined to be well tolerated. Adverse events were reported by 77% of subjects throughout both phases of the study. The majority of subjects (55%) reported adverse events during the treatment phase that were considered mild in severity. No severe adverse events were reported in any treatment group and no clinically important trends over time were observed in any treatment group for vital signs measurements (blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate).