Deals dominate developments in drug delivery space

Lilly signs up for Starpharma’s dendrimer tech ​

Australian delivery specialist Starpharma​ has signed a new development contract with Eli Lilly​ that will focus on enhancing the way in which the US pharma firm’s drugs reach their targets.

The delivery deal will see the firms collaborate on applying Starpharma’s synthetic macromolecule “dendrimer” technology to candidates in Lilly’s product pipeline in a bid to improve their specificity.

Few other details of the project have been released at this stage, although, the new agreement suggests that Lilly has been suitably impressed by the work Starpharma has carried out with its Elanco animal health division under a contract signed in 2009.

Penwest lands fourth Otsuka deal​

Penwest Pharmaceuticals​ says Japanese drug firm Otsuka Pharmaceuticals​ has signed up to develop a fourth drug using its Timerx delivery technology.

Timerx is an oral system allows the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) to be gradually released over an extended period of time, to ensure sustained efficacy and avoid potentially detrimental spikes in drug concentration in the blood stream.

Otsuka did not disclose further information about the new product but did say that one of the other pharmaceuticals it is development with the Timerx technology has already demonstrated proof-of-principal in a Phase I study.

Jennifer Good, Penwest CEO, said: "We are very pleased to have signed another research and development agreement with Otsuka, “and added that the firm “is an important customer for us, and our scientific team will continue to work closely with them to successfully formulate their compounds​."

Daiichi files Twincaps flu drug in Japan​

Hovione​ ​says a developmental influenza drug that is delivered using its TwinCaps​ inhaler has been filed with Japanese regulatory authorities by Daiichi Sankyo.

The Portuguese firm said that the TwinCaps technology was designed to improve the delivery of inhaled drugs and that Daiichi’s CS-8958 medication, a long-acting neuraminidase inhibitor, is an ideal candidate for such an application.

Peter Villax, VP in charge of TwinCaps development, said: "This filing follows four years of great collaboration between Daiichi Sankyo and Hovione and we are very honoured to be part of this project​."