The VitalDose technology comprises polymers of ethylene and combined with vinyl acetate (EVA), the proportion of which can be varied between 6 and 40 per cent to alter the excipients controlled-release properties.
This flexibility, coupled with the ability to adjust the polymer’s molecular weight, give developers a means of improving the efficacy and extending the lifecycles of established products according to unit general manager Mark Murray.
“With competition, particularly from generics, on the rise in the pharmaceutical industry, developing innovative dosage forms is now key to retaining a competitive edge in the industry.”
Murray also suggested that developing new delivery routes and enhancing a new drug’s bioavailability, one of the benefits he claims for VitalDose, is increasingly being considered by drugmakers in strategic development.
Life-cycle management concerns, which are always fairly high on a drugmaker's list of priorities, are a particular issue for the innovative end of the pharmaceutical sector at present as it struggles to accelerate the development of new products to replace patent threatened pipelines.
Any reformulation or delivery technology that extends a high earning drug's profitability is therefore likely to attract interest, particularly if as Celanese claims, that technology can address other concerns such as bioavailability.
Q3 results
The VitalDose excipient launch also further expands Celanese’s consumer specialties business which, for the quarter ended September 31, saw revenues increase 17 per cent to $288m (€206m) and operating profit rise $19m to $71m.
This growth, which positions the unit as second biggest contributor behind Celanese’ acetyl intermediates division, was part of the overall trend that saw total quarterly increase some 15 per cent to $1.5bn
But, despite revenue gains across the board Celanese still saw profits for the period fall 63 per cent to $145m from $395m in the third-quarter.
However, Celanese attributed much of the decline to lower tax benefits, telling the Associated Press that the year-earlier period included $382m related to a deferred tax benefit.