Cosmo gains patent for MMX

Cosmo Pharmaceuticals has been granted a 'notice of allowance' by the US Trademark and Patent Office for its multi matrix MMX technology

The MMX technology is used to deliver therapeutics to the colon. This is achieved by coating the tablets in pH-resistant acrylic copolymers which delay the release of the active ingredient until it reaches the target region.

Patent expiration is due to occur in the US in 2020 but this could be extended through the implementation of supplementary protection certificates.

The patent covers the use of MMX with a wide range of active ingredients including mesalazine, budesonide and metformin.

Mauro Ajani, CEO of Cosmo, said: "We are pleased that the US Patent and Trademark Office has granted this patent and believe that this is a further step towards firmly establishing MMX as the leading technology in delivering gastrointestinal (GI) therapies.

“It gives us a strong base upon which to expand MMX into a wide range of new indications in the important US market."

Alchemy’s novel nasal delivery

Alchemy Healthcare has created a cheap disposable device to provide a novel technique for delivering therapeutics or vaccines to the bloodstream.

The hand held device creates a vortex to deliver drugs to the upper nasal passages, enabling the administration of therapeutics to the bloodstream without the use of needles.

A therapeutic in powder form is held within a pressurised cartridge in the device. Powders are used instead of liquids as they “dwell effectively in the upper nose”, claims Alchemy.

The device is viewed by Alchemy as a way for pharmaceutical companies to extend product life in the face of generic competition and increase differentiation.

Nanoparticle drug delivery using plant viruses

NanoVector is developing a drug delivery system using a plant virus to administer nanoparticles into target cells.

A 17nm cavity was discovered inside the red clover necrotic mosaic virus and it is this that the company is using to carry therapeutics into cells.

The virus’ properties give it a natural loading and unloading mechanism that the company is exploiting to deliver therapeutics into cells. Affected areas are targeted and upon entering the cell the plant virus releases its cargo.