Inyx has successfully manufactured a steroidal foam for launch into the German market for a leading international specialty pharmaceutical company, and says it expects interest in this type of formulation to increase as its benefits in topical products emerge.

"There is a developing trend to use aerosol foam systems for drug delivery to the skin in favour of conventional lotions or creams," said Steven Handley, Inyx's president. Foam products are proven to be more effective for penetration of corticosteroids to the treatment area and are also cleaner to use, he noted.

Inyx says it is one of the few pharmaceutical companies in the world equipped to produce pharmaceutical aerosol products in a foam or mousse format.

"The increased production requirements to meet these expanding markets will allow us to further utilize Inyx's new hydrocarbon aerosol line, recently validated to meet worldwide regulatory requirements," Handley added.

Inyx's UK subsidiary, Inyx Pharma, is manufacturing and supplying the steroidal foam for use in the treatment of corticosteroid-responsive skin conditions of the scalp in Germany, which is a new market for this type of product.

Skin conditions, such as psoriasis of the scalp, are becoming increasingly common worldwide. An estimated 14 million people in Europe alone are affected by psoriasis. Steroidal prescription dermatology products are estimated to account for nearly 20 per cent of the worldwide $9 billion dermatological market.