Lipidic tech for cough products

Specialty pharmaceutical company Adams Respiratory Therapeutics and drug delivery company Lipocine have entered into a license and collaboration agreement using Lipocine's drug delivery technology Lip'ral and Lip'ral-SSR to develop new prescription adult cough products. The two technologies, based on a lipidic composition, aid the oral delivery of water insoluble drugs by improving absorption. "This collaboration with Lipocine provides Adams with access to an additional proprietary platform technology and fits with our strategy of taking established compounds and adding increased functionality to create patent-protected, value-added products,"​ Adams chief operating officer Robert Casale said in a statement. "The products developed through this collaboration could offer doctors a non-narcotic prescribing option to treat cough with an enhanced dosing regimen. In addition, these products will help Adams compete in the $1.1bn prescription cough and cold market in the US." ​ Lipocine president and chief executive Mahesh Patel said in a statement: "Given the large and growing size of the respiratory market, and how patients can benefit from enhanced dosage forms and regimens, we are very pleased to partner with Adams." ​ Lip'ral technology is based on lipidic compositions that form the optimal dispersed phase for absorption of poorly water soluble drugs and improves upon the mechanism by which food increases the absorption of such drugs. The Lip'ral-SSR (Synchronized Solubilizer Release) technology enables controlled release of insoluble drugs and drugs with pH-sensitive solubility. According to Lipocine, the technology promises advances over conventional methods such as nanoparticle technology and solid dispersion technology, which stabilizes a more rapidly dissolving 'amorphous state' of the drug in a solid matrix. Benefits of the Lip'ral technology include: increased bioavailability, faster onset of action, improved solubilization and high drug loading capacity, and reduced sensitivity to food effects. Under the terms of the agreement, Adams receives an exclusive, royalty-bearing license from Lipocine to develop and market multiple prescription cough products for North American adults. Lipocine would be responsible for completing the product development work and would be eligible for reimbursements in exchange for the completion of development milestones. Adams would perform all aspects of clinical development, regulatory submission, manufacture and commercial operations. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.