$CARA to Present at the 17th Annual Conference on Pain Therapeutics

• Dr. Joseph Stauffer to deliver opening remarks and discuss kappa opioid receptor agonists as a novel approach to acute and chronic pain management

• Dr. Stauffer serves as co-chair and on the event’s Scientific Advisory Board

Cara Therapeutics, Inc. (CARA), a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing new chemical entities designed to alleviate pain and pruritus by selectively targeting peripheral kappa opioid receptors, today announced that Dr. Joseph Stauffer, Cara’s Chief Medical Officer, has been selected to speak at the 17^th Annual Conference on Pain Therapeutics to be held May 22-23, 2017 in London. Dr. Stauffer also serves as an event co-chair and on the conference’s Scientific Advisory Board.

On Tuesday, May 23, Dr. Stauffer will deliver opening remarks and the opening address, during which he will discuss kappa opioid receptor agonism as a new approach to managing acute and chronic pain. This discussion will highlight positive clinical trial results and human abuse liability data for CR845, the Company’s first-in-class peripherally selective kappa opioid agonist. To date, results support the view that CR845 is unlikely to be recreationally abused or lead to physical dependence.

For more information on the 17^th Annual Conference on Pain Therapeutics, visit https://www.smi-online.co.uk/pharmaceuticals/uk/pain-therapeutics.

About CR845

CR845 is a peripherally acting kappa opioid receptor agonist currently in development for the treatment of acute and chronic pain and pruritus. In multiple randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trials in patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy or bunionectomy procedures, I.V. CR845 treatment resulted in statistically significant reductions in pain intensity and opioid-related side effects. In more than 1200 subjects dosed to date, CR845 was observed to be well-tolerated, without incurring the dysphoric and psychotomimetic side effects that have been reported with centrally acting (CNS-active) kappa opioid receptor agonists, and lacking the respiratory depression and abuse liability of mu opioid receptor agonists. Top-line data from a Phase 2b trial of Oral CR845 in chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis are expected in the second quarter of 2017.

About Cara Therapeutics

Cara Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing new chemical entities designed to alleviate pain and pruritus by selectively targeting kappa opioid receptors. Cara is developing a novel and proprietary class of product candidates, led by CR845, that target the body’s peripheral nervous system and have demonstrated, in Phase 2 trials, preliminary efficacy in patients with moderate-to-severe pain and pruritus without inducing many of the undesirable side effects typically associated with currently available pain therapeutics.