MonoSolRx, a subsidiary of US-based MonoSol specialising in the pharmaceutical applications of this technology, is one of a handful of companies developing edible film strips as a fast-dissolve oral drug delivery platform.
The company's FDTAB film oral dosage form looks like a postage stamp and dissolves readily on the tongue to deliver drugs to a patient, replacing the use of conventional tablets and capsules. The company acquired the technology along with all of the assets of Kosmos Pharma in January 2004.
In 2003, US company Zengen launched a strip delivering benzocaine, a local anaesthetic, for the treatment of sore throat. At the time, the company claimed this was the first time that this type of delivery system had been used for an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Since then, additional oral strip formulations have been introduced by Novartis Consumer Health.
The Irish patent covers methods used to ensure the uniformity of the film strips, an essential requirement if they are to be used for the delivery of drugs.
P Scott Bening, MonoSolRx's president and chief executive, said: "This patent is an important step in the company's IP strategy, by seeking protection in Ireland which is such an important base for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals."