Emisphere Technologies, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the oral delivery of otherwise injectable drugs, has entered into a multi-product research collaboration agreement with Roche to explore the use of Emisphere's eligen technology in feasibility studies for new oral formulations of a number of Roche molecules. Roche will fund the research, which will be conducted at both Roche and Emisphere.

Michael M Goldberg, M.D., chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Emisphere Technologies, Inc., commented, "Establishing a research collaboration agreement with Roche to investigate the application of our technology on multiple compounds demonstrates the value Emisphere brings to the product development process. Roche has been working with Emisphere for a number of years and this new agreement further strengthens the relationship between our two companies."

Emisphere's broad-based oral drug delivery technology platform, known as the eligen technology, is based on the use of proprietary, synthetic chemical compounds, known as Emisphere delivery agents, or "carriers." These molecules facilitate or enable the transport of the therapeutic macromolecules across biological membranes such as those of the gastrointestinal tract, and exert their desired pharmacological effect. The delivery agents have no known pharmacological activity themselves. Emisphere's eligen technology makes it possible to orally deliver a therapeutic molecule without altering its chemical form or biological integrity. Emisphere is pursuing shortened registration timelines for currently marketed drug products whose performance is improved using the eligen(R) technology through supplemental New Drug Applications or 505(b)(2) filings with the US FDA. Successful achievement of these regulatory strategies may not require large-scale studies to support product registration.