Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Alrise Biosystems announced that the companies have entered into a development agreement with exclusive option rights for Ferring to leverage Alrise’s ImSus Technology Platform for the development of an injectable, controlled-release formulation of a peptide therapeutic.
Under the terms of the agreement, Alrise will conduct feasibility and scale-up studies with Ferring. Upon completion of the development work, Ferring will have the right to exercise its option and enter into a definitive agreement with Alrise to further develop and manufacture the formulation.
“Ferring aims to harness innovative technology platforms, such as Alrise’s microparticle-technology platform, in order to provide new, controlled-release formulations of peptides and proteins for our patients,” said Alan S. Harris, senior vice president, R&D executive office, Ferring Pharmaceuticals. “Controlled, long-duration release treatments can maximise efficiency, help improve compliance to treatment, and make life simpler for our patients.”
“Alrise is committed to delivering solutions that enhance the performance of drug products in development,” said Volker Rindler, head of business development and co-founder, Alrise Biosystems. “Together with Ferring we aim to develop a new depot formulation that, once injected, releases the drug in a controlled way and thereby ensures an effective drug level over several months.”
Ferring recently announced a number of agreements aimed at developing new formulations of peptide-based therapeutics through novel technology platforms, including a long-term collaboration with Aché Laboratórios Farmacêuticos, aimed at improving the bioavailability, efficacy and safety profile of oral therapeutic medicines through nanotechnology.
ImSus is a unique drug delivery technology platform for the design and manufacture of drug-loaded polymeric nano- and microparticle formulations. The patented process allows an efficient encapsulation of small molecule, peptide and protein drugs for injectable controlled release applications. Key advantages of the ImSus technology include the exclusive use of non-harmful (non-carcinogenic) organic solvents and the control over critical performance attributes, which aim to shorten product development times and lower costs.
Headquartered in Switzerland, Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a research-driven, specialty biopharmaceutical group active in global markets.
Alrise was founded in 2004 by Dr. Celal Albayrak, Dr. Volker Rindler and Dr. Heiko Seemann. In collaboration with pharmaceutical companies Alrise develops injectable as well as oral formulations based on polymeric nano- and microparticles for various substance classes.