CARA Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, which focuses on developing and commercializing new chemical entities designed to alleviate pruritus by selectively targeting peripheral kappa opioid receptors (KORs). Its portfolio includes opioid-based products, anesthetic-based drugs, and analgesics that targets to alleviate itch and pain. The company was founded by Derek T. Chalmers, Michael E. Lewis, and Frederique Menzaghi on July 2, 2004 and is headquartered in Stamford, CT.