Novartis to test Intec's Accordion controlled-release delivery tech
The Swiss drug manufacturer will examine what impact the technology has on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of an unspecified compound in a Phase I study according to Intec. Further details of the project were not provided.
Intec CEO, Jeffrey Meckler, welcomed the deal, explaining "We are delighted to work with Novartis in potentially utilizing our Accordion Pill platform technology."
He added that, “we hope to increase the number of partners who ask us to formulate Accordion Pills for their proprietary compounds."
News of the agreement – financial terms of which were not disclosed – comes weeks after Intec announced it had granted a Canadian patent for the Accordion technology.
The patent covers the technology in combination with Carbidopa and Levodopa (AP-CD/LD) – currently in a Phase III trial for advanced Parkinson’s disease – until April 2029.
Jerusalem-based Intec has similar patents in the US, Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Israel.
Background
The Accordion Pill technology fits inside a standard size capsule, and is composed of a multi-layer, planar structure, reminiscent of an accordion.
According to Intec, when the capsule reaches the stomach, the capsule unfolds, and the accordion structure made of pharmaceutical biodegradable polymeric films, dissolves.
The structure remains in the stomach for up to 12 hours said the firm, allowing it to release the drug into the upper gastrointestinal tract in a controlled manner.
