Galway medical device developer Crospon has spun out a new company, Janisys, to focus on the development of a drug-delivery platform that uses HP’s inkjet printing technology to enable painless, controlled drug release from a patch to the skin.
The news coincides with Crospon’s participation at the 14th annual Drug Delivery Partnership Conference in Orlando, Florida.
The new spinout is at a late stage in developing functional prototypes of its active microneedle-based transdermal system and intends to begin pre-clinical trials in 2010.
Janisys has secured co-development funding from a leading pharmaceutical company to progress the initial prototype development of Janisys, and the company will be seeking to engage in a round of fundraising during the first half of 2010 for completion of the commercial version of the system.
Another product
The spinout of Janisys follows the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of Crospon’s flagship gastroenterology product, EndoFLIP.
“Today’s announcement is an exciting step in the continued development of the Janisys drug-delivery system,” explained John O’Dea, chief executive officer, Crospon.
“This industry-first skin patch will offer a superior drug delivery platform for doctors and patients. We look forward to engaging in pre-clinical trials later this year.”
Transdermal patches (which rely on absorption through the skin) for nicotine delivery have become a mainstay for smoking cessation and pain-management programs. However, they have not been a widely effective delivery mechanism for many drugs because the skin acts as a natural barrier.
The Janisys skin patch delivers medication intradermally – just below the surface of the skin – thereby expanding the range of drugs and biopharmaceuticals for which patches may be used. The patch uses microneedles that barely penetrate the skin, which radically reduces discomfort compared to traditional hypodermic needles.
The device will enable precise control of dosage timing, access to dosage history, patient activation mechanisms and will include inherent safety protocols for preventing adverse drug interactions.
By John Kennedy
Photo: Crospon’s new company, Janisys, will focus on the development of a painless drug-delivery platform
