Vyteris, Inc., developer of the first FDA-approved active transdermal drug delivery system and a leader in active transdermal drug delivery technology, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Zealand Pharma A/S, a Denmark-based biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing innovative peptide-based drugs, to apply its technology to the controlled transdermal delivery of Zealand Pharma’s peptide optimization technology.
“This strategic partnership with Zealand Pharma, a recognized leader in peptide drug development, marks another milestone in the active roll-out of our patented smart patch transdermal technology for the delivery of high-value, therapeutic peptides,” commented Dr. Haro Hartounian, president and chief executive officer of Vyteris, Inc.
“Needle-free, tightly controlled delivery of peptides via active, transdermal patches is an innovative and patient-friendly route of administration which can lead to increased safety and compliance. Our ongoing female infertility project with Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has now entered clinical phase II, and we hope to continue this success in transdermal peptide delivery with our new partner Zealand Pharma,” added Hartounian.
First, the two companies will test the feasibility of smart patch-based transdermal delivery of a peptide drug candidate in animal models. Once this study is completed, the companies will decide if they want to further develop and commercialize this peptide or other peptide therapeutics in Zealand Pharma’s product portfolio.
“In working with Vyteris and its transdermal delivery technology, we believe this represents a strong collaborative effort to develop innovative new methods of peptide drug delivery that may have significant advantages in efficacy, patient compliance and tolerability,” stated David Solomon, chief executive officer of Zealand Pharma. “With our peptide-based drugs aimed at treating unmet medical needs, we are eager to conduct this feasibility study and apply our knowledge of peptide optimization to Vyteris’ transdermal delivery technology.”
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