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Elan/AvMax oral drug delivery deal
Elan and the US company, AvMax, are to collaborate on oral drug delivery using both companies’ technology.
AvMax’s proprietary technology addresses the inherent problems of oral bioavailability of many products such as immunosuppressants, protease inhibitors, anticancer agents and cardiovascular products, the company said. It is based on the inhibition of members of the cytochrome P450 3A sub-family (CYP3A) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp). These two proteins limit drug absorption by reducing the amount of active ingredient which passes through the intestine wall.
The company is developing inhibitors of intestinal metabolism and active efflux, many of which are designated by the US FDA as substances generally recognized as safe (GRAS), such as food flavorings or extracts, for example peppermint oil.
GRAS substances can be incorporated into product formulations with minimal additional toxicology testing, simplifying the regulatory pathway, the company told Scrip. Elan is to take an equity stake in AvMax of slightly less than 20%.
Elan said the venture forms part of a broad series of collaborations it has been setting up and that AvMax’s oral drug delivery technology is complementary to that of NanoSystems, which Elan acquired last year. NanoSystems’ main technology in NanoCrystal, which enhances the delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs.
. . . AvMax
AvMax was formed in 1993. One of its founders is Dr. Leslie Benet, who has conducted pioneering research on the role of P-gp and CYP3A in limiting oral absorption of peptides and peptidomimetics. He is professor and chairman of the department of biopharmaceutical sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.
The company has supported itself financially in recent years by undertaking feasibility projects for pharmaceutical companies. AvMax hopes to secure more deals with companies experiencing difficulties with bioavailability and expects funding from these to support it for the next couple of years. |
