Drug delivery developer pSivida ($PSDV) has signed a funded evaluation agreement with an undisclosed global biopharmaceutical company. This grants the biopharma company the rights to evaluate pSivida's Tethadur protein and antibody delivery system to treat eye diseases.
The Tethadur delivery system is designed to deliver antibodies, peptides or proteins over long periods, and uses pSivida's BioSilicon technology, originally developed at the U.K. Department of Defense. This nanostructured porous silicon is engineered to include tiny holes, specifically sized and structured to carry the therapeutics and release them over time as the material erodes.
"This is our first commercial agreement for Tethadur," said Paul Ashton, president and CEO of pSivida. "A sustained delivery system for these types of molecules would offer a significant clinical advance in the ophthalmic area where injections of protein-based drugs into the eye every one or two months are sometimes required."
After approval in France in July, licensee Alimera has received approval in Germany for Iluvien, which uses pSivida's injectable, sustained-release intravitreal insert, Durasert, to deliver fluocinolone acetonide for the treatment of chronic diabetic macular edema (DME). This means the product now has marketing authorization in 5 of the company's 7 targeted EU countries.
- read the press release about Tethadur
- see the press release about Iluvien in Germany