Swedish drug delivery company Lipidor welcomed positive results from a Phase I/IIa study of its water-free, lipid psoriasis treatment. The company, half-owned by Karolinska Development, touts the spray innovation as the first of its kind for topical drug delivery.
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| The Akvano spray-on platform uses novel topical delivery--Courtesy of Karolinska Development |
Lipidor's technology, Akvano, is a delivery platform combining lipids with a volatile oil to carry active pharmaceutical ingredients into skin cells without the use of water. The absence of water, in this case, allows the oil to evaporate quickly, leaving a layer of the drug on the skin. The quick-drying aspect of its application is especially important for patients with psoriasis, the company says, as standard creams, ointments or lotions for the condition can be greasy and uncomfortable.
In early-phase trials, the combination met its primary objective with clear antipsoriatic effects and no safety issues in 24 patients, according to the company. Because of the social stigma associated with psoriasis, the company notes the cosmetic effects of a quick-drying spray could potentially boost patient compliance and comfort.
"The positive study results represent an important milestone for Lipidor in its efforts to develop a product with equivalent clinical efficacy compared to market leading calcipotriol-only topical treatments, and with superior cosmetic qualities and greater ease of use, thereby improving compliance rates and patient quality of life," Lipidor CEO Anders Carlsson said in a statement.
The results also mark a win for the 10-year-old Karolinska Development, a spinoff of Sweden's medical university Karolinska Institutet. The development organization has 35 projects in its portfolio, 11 of which are in Phase II. Last year, Lipidor also entered an agreement with the Switzerland's Cerbios-Pharma to co-develop the Akvano-calcipotriol formulation.
- here's the release