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Archimedes expands nasal analgesic alliance

02-Mar-2005

Related topics: Ingredients

UK company Archimedes Pharma has signed the first licensing deal for its nasal delivery platform since acquiring the technology from West Pharmaceutical Services last month.

Archimedes, which was set up with a £40m war chest provided by financial backer Warburg Pincus to exploit West's delivery technologies, inherited an existing collaboration with Ionix Pharmaceuticals that has now been extended under the new agreement.

The two companies are already working on the development of Ionix ' IX-1003 candidate for post-operative pain, but have now added in two additional product candidates, IX-1004 and IX-1005, for the treatment of chronic pain and opiate addiction, respectively.

 

All three products are based on Archimedes' proprietary drug delivery systems and buprenorphine, an opioid drug that is manufactured and marketed globally in other dosage forms by Ionix's alliance partner Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare and its licensees. Ionix signed an agreement to license all three drugs to Reckitt Benckiser on 28 February.

 

Nasal delivery has a number of well-established advantages, including the avoidance of so-called first-pass metabolism - a rapid clearance of foreign compounds from the body as they circulate through the liver - which reduces the dose needed and potentially associated side effects. It also offers a simple, non-invasive administration that should appeal to patients and doctors.

 

Under the terms of the new agreement, Archimedes will provide formulation technology and development services on the three product candidates and will receive milestone payments and royalties. Meanwhile, Ionix and Reckitt Benckiser will be responsible for clinical development and commercialisation. Financial details were not disclosed.

 

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