Trigen Ltd and Eurand has stepped into a collaboration to develop controlled-release formulations of Trigen's highly-selective, novel oral anticoagulant, TGN 167. Eurand, a recognized world leader in formulation, will apply its proprietary expertise and technologies to the project.

The development of tablet forms with optimal kinetic and dynamic profiles will ensure exploitation of TGN 167's full clinical and commercial potential and in doing so could bring to patients and physicians a safe, effective and convenient alternative to currently available anticoagulants for chronic use. The medical need for a replacement for warfarin for long term anticoagulant therapy was recently emphasised by the FDA's CardioRenal Advisory Committee on Exanta (ximelagatran).

Under the agreement with Eurand, Trigen retains all commercialisation and development rights to TGN 167 and the initiation of this collaboration is an important part of ongoing commercial discussions with Trigen's potential pharmaceutical partners.

Tony Kennedy, VP, Development at Trigen commented, "We are delighted to be working with Eurand, a world leader in drug delivery technologies and are particularly pleased to be applying a well validated approach to formulating TGN 167. This collaboration will accelerate TGN 167's progress towards registration."

Leonardo Rabaglia, director of European R&D at Eurand, said, "For TGN 167, we have selected a specific formulation approach which has been successfully applied to other molecules with similar characteristics. Given TGN 167's broad window of absorption along the gastrointestinal tract, we are confident that we can achieve the optimal kinetic and dynamic profile sought by Trigen."

Trigen previously announced the successful completion of a Phase I dose escalation study on TGN 167 using a classical rapid release tablet formulation. Trigen is developing TGN 167 for safe, effective, predictable and convenient anticoagulation for chronic out-patient use in the prevention and treatment of thrombosis.

Trigen is a private UK biotechnology company, based in London, that discovers and develops novel drugs for the management of occlusive and inflammatory cardiovascular diseases. Trigen's lead programme, comprising a series of anticoagulant direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis, is in clinical development in both intravenous and oral formulations.