The patent – number 8,167,837 – covers Unilife’s Unifill prefilled syringe, which CEO Alan Shortall claimed is the world's first and only prefilled syringe with integrated safety features.
“This patented technology differentiates Unifill from every other prefilled syringe that is either on the market, or known by us to be in development” he said after announcing the patent, explaining that pharmas wishing to get the maximum value from branded products were a key market for the product.
"Expert legal opinion indicates that the unique safety, functionality and performance characteristics of our proprietary technologies may be utilized to extend the commercial lifecycles of drug-device combination products beyond the patent expiration of the drug itself.
“Because more than 70 biologics with combined annual revenues in excess of $70 billion are set to fall off the patent cliff between now and 2020, we have commenced discussions with a number of pharmaceutical customers with a view to enhancing and extending the commercial lifecycles of their blockbuster therapies.”
Generics too
But while branded drugmakers are clearly a focus for Unilife the deal it signed in June – under which it will manufacture and supply Unifill to an unnamed pharmaceutical firm targeting Europe – suggest it is not ignoring the generic drug sector.
No financial details of the agreement were disclosed, but Unilife did confirm that the accord “relates to the planned launch of a generic equivalent of an approved auto-immune therapy that is currently available in a standard prefilled syringe format for use across several indications.”
In a press statement issued at the time Unilife said: “The Unifill syringe was selected by the pharmaceutical customer because of its capacity to differentiate its drug from brand name or generic competitors.
“The implementation next year of a legally binding EU directive mandating the use of needlestick prevention products within European healthcare facilities also played a significant role in the selection of the Unifill syringe.”
It also predicted that annual unit volumes for the Unifill syringe within the initial European geography are expected to reach up to 10m units during the contract period, generating up to $15m in revenue per year.