Sinclair IS Pharma, the international specialty pharma company, announces that it has signed an Option and Licensing Agreement (agreement) with Advanced Medical Solutions Group (AMS), the global medical technology company, for Sinclair IS’s Delmopinol anti-biofilm technology. Under the terms of the Agreement, AMS has the right to exclusively licence Delmopinol from Sinclair IS for worldwide use in the development of new foam-based Advanced Woundcare dressings.

In collaboration with a number of universities, AMS has screened the efficacy of Delmopinol, in a number of in-vitro models, to test its potential use as an anti-biofilm agent in conjunction with an AMS anti-microbial woundcare dressing. This screening has produced encouraging data supporting Sinclair IS’s own internal development programmes on the compound, and the substantial package of preclinical and toxicological data from Sinclair IS’s marketed products Decapinol and GUM PerioShield in the USA (via Sunstar Americas Inc).

As a result, AMS and Sinclair IS have signed the agreement, which allows AMS to conduct further R&D and feasibility testing for up to a maximum of six months. At the end of this period, assuming the additional data generated confirms the results seen so far, AMS has the right to exclusively license the worldwide patent rights from Sinclair IS for the new use of Delmopinol in foam-based Advanced Woundcare dressings.

Delmopinol is the active ingredient in Decapinol, Sinclair IS’s brand of oral healthcare products, where it has proven to be effective as an anti-biofilm agent. Bacterial biofilms are widely recognised as a major cause of microbial resistance to current treatments. This is equally true of the biofilms which form within chronic wounds, such as pressure (decubitus) and diabetic ulcers as well as burns and infected trauma injuries. Complications with infections are known to delay the wound healing process and can be fatal. Delmopinol has a new mechanism of action, which differentiates it from current antiseptics and antibiotics, avoiding the problem of propagating resistant strains of medical pathogens. It has a stronger effect on biofilm bacteria than it does on the planktonic (free floating) bacteria and prevents initial adhesions and maturation of biofilm forming colonies.

Chris Spooner, CEO of Sinclair IS, said: “Today’s announcement underpins our strategy to optimise the Company’s current product portfolio and leverage our IP for Delmopinol. Delmopinol has already been shown to be safe and effective in oral care and has the potential to be an effective treatment for many other indications where biofilms are a factor in increasing resistance. As a leader in the woundcare market, AMS is a strong partner for Sinclair IS and we look forward to working with them to further advance the development of the compound.”

Chris Meredith, CEO, AMS, said: “As we have previously indicated, we believe the future of Advanced Woundcare lies in antimicrobial and ‘active’ wound dressings. In this regard, our R&D programme has been looking into ways to control biofilms within chronic wounds, in order to further improve the efficacy of our dressings. Whilst there is still work to do to confirm its feasibility, indications so far are encouraging that a combination of Delmopinol and our own anti-microbial foam technologies could provide an effective new range of dressings to combat biofilms. We are delighted to be working with Sinclair IS Pharma on this initiative.”

Sinclair IS Pharma plc is an international specialty pharmaceutical company providing solutions to treat wounds, dermatological and oral diseases through advanced surface technology and innovative delivery systems.

AMS is a leading company in the development and manufacture of innovative and technologically advanced products for the US$15 billion global wound care market.