Aegis' Intravail technology allows intranasal delivery of peptide and protein therapeutics that are otherwise deliverable only by injection and speeds the onset of action of small molecule drugs as well. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Intravail has been developed to eliminate the need for injections for a number of key therapeutics important to paediatric medicine. Patient comfort, ease of use, and acceptance, are key to long-term compliance and effective medical treatment in adults and children alike.
"This agreement is an important step in achieving broadly enabling intranasal delivery of peptide and protein therapeutics for many companies across the entire pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical spectrum," said Donald Grimm, Aegis' Executive Chairman.
In June 2005, Aegis announced the expansion of its earlier licensing agreement with Intranasal Technologies to include beta-interferon and low molecular weight heparin and has since initiated feasibility studies on a number of additional peptide and protein therapeutics for several pharmaceutical clients.
Since licensing, exclusively, the original patented Intravail technology for transmucosal delivery of drugs developed at the University of Alabama Medical Centre in Birmingham, Aegis has filed more than a half dozen additional patent applications to significantly expand the scope and geographic coverage of its claims.
Scientists have known for years that the intranasal route of administration of therapeutic agents was a highly efficient route, but success in this route of administration has been difficult due to low delivery payload, poor reproducibility and/or mucosal irritation.
Intravail advantages include the non-invasive delivery of protein and peptide drugs up to 30,000 Daltons with no alteration of chemical form or biological integrity. More importantly Aegis claim there is no irritation of sensitive nasal tissues, as well as the elimination of injections for greater patient convenience and compliance.
Nasal drug delivery has numerous benefits for patients and healthcare professionals, including rapid onset of action, non-invasive and virtually pain-free delivery, and the elimination of needles and biohazardous wastes. In addition, nasally delivered drugs have the potential for direct transfer across the blood brain barrier, which could improve the efficacy of many central nervous system products.