Under the new agreement the US-based PSI becomes the only contract research organisation (CRO) to offer the solubility enhancing drug/polymer platform to pharmaceutical industry clients.
Particle Sciences CEO Mark Mitchnick said the technology, which combines polymers and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to form colloidal dispersions with improved bioavailablilty, has application for both new drugs and generics.
"The Solumer technology fits perfectly with our growth strategy of adopting truly value added drug delivery approaches to our portfolio.This is a proven technology that is both cost effective and scalable.”
This suggests PSI will hope to win business from both Big Pharmas keen to extend the patentable life of products set to lose protection and generics firms seeking to develop non-branded drugs with improved characteristics to standout in a competitive marketplace.
US market and licensing opportunities
Ness Ziona-headquartered SoluBest predicted that the partnership with Bethlehem, Pennsylvania based PSI will provide a number of benefits, foremost of which is improved access to the US market.
And beyond this, according to SoluBest CEO Amir Zalcanstein, the deal gives his firm the chance to leverage PSI’s good manufacturing and good laboratory practice (GMP/GLP) standard facilities in efforts to find drug firm’s interested in licensing Solumer for formulation development.
Earlier this month the firm signed up Indian generics manufacturer Dr Reddy’s Laboratories as a Solumer licensee which, at the time, Zalcanstein said was an indication that “demand is growing exponentially.”
He reiterated this point in light of the new deal, explaining that Solubest is “seeing a lot of interest in our technology, and partnering with Particle Sciences is essential in order to meet the increased demand”