Critical Therapeutics.

Critical Therapeutics, Inc. was a biopharmaceutical company incorporated in Delaware on July 14, 2000, with a focus on developing and commercializing products for respiratory, inflammatory, and critical care diseases. The company's business strategy centered on regulating the body's inflammatory response. A significant part of their portfolio was built around zileuton, an active ingredient for which they acquired worldwide rights from Abbott Laboratories. In December 2003, the company licensed controlled-release and intravenous formulations of zileuton, and in March 2004, it licensed the immediate-release formulation and acquired the Zyflo® trademark.

The company's main commercial products were ZYFLO® (zileuton tablets) and its extended-release version, ZYFLO CR™. These were the only FDA-approved leukotriene synthesis inhibitors for the chronic treatment of asthma in adults and children 12 years and older. ZYFLO worked by blocking the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme, which is responsible for producing leukotrienes, a family of proteins that trigger asthma symptoms. Critical Therapeutics launched ZYFLO in the U.S. in October 2005, targeting allergy and respiratory specialists. A major milestone was the FDA approval of the twice-daily ZYFLO CR™ in May 2007, which was developed to improve patient compliance with a less frequent dosing schedule. The company managed its revenue generation by building a specialty sales force to market its products directly to healthcare providers. They also entered a co-promotion agreement with Dey, L.P. to expand their marketing reach.

In May 2008, Critical Therapeutics announced a definitive merger agreement with Cornerstone BioPharma Holdings, Inc., a privately-held specialty pharmaceutical company also focused on respiratory disorders. The stock-for-stock merger was completed in November 2008, resulting in former Cornerstone stockholders owning approximately 70% of the new entity and Critical Therapeutics stockholders owning about 30%. Following the merger, the combined company was renamed Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc. and continued to trade on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "CRTX". This strategic move aimed to create a larger specialty pharmaceutical company with a more diversified product pipeline focused on respiratory diseases. Ultimately, Cornerstone Therapeutics was acquired by Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. in 2014, marking the end of Critical Therapeutics' journey as an independent entity. Keywords: Critical Therapeutics, biopharmaceutical, respiratory diseases, inflammatory diseases, asthma treatment, ZYFLO, zileuton, leukotriene inhibitor, 5-lipoxygenase, Cornerstone BioPharma, Cornerstone Therapeutics, Chiesi, pharmaceutical merger, drug development, FDA approval, specialty pharmaceuticals, chronic treatment, ZYFLO CR, clinical trials