Cara Therapeutics, Inc., an early commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing chemical entities with a primary focus on pruritus and pain by selectively targeting kappa opioid receptors in the United States.

The company is developing product candidates that target the body's peripheral nervous system and immune cells.

The company's lead product is KORSUVA (difelikefalin) injection for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pruritus associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults undergoing hemodialysis.

Its product candidate includes Oral KORSUVA (difelikefalin), which has completed Phase II clinical trial to treat pruritus atopic dermatitis and pruritus non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD) associated pruritus; and in Phase II clinical trial to treat pruritus chronic liver disease (CLD) primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and notalgia paresthetica.

The company has license agreements with Maruishi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd to develop, manufacture, and commercialize drug products containing difelikefalin for acute pain and uremic pruritus in Japan; and Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation to develop, manufacture, and commercialize drug products containing difelikefalin in South Korea.

Cara Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2004 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.