Debiotech innovates in implantable drug delivery techniques

Jan. 8, 2001: DEBIOTECH, Lausanne/Switzerland, has secured an exclusive worldwide license to an innovative implantable drug delivery technology which will be developed in close collaboration with DEBIO RP, Martigny/Switzerland, for the continuous administration of drugs through a patent pending biocompatible nanoporous membrane.

"This new technology, which is perfectly in line with our experience in micro-technologies, represents an ideal growth of our device activities in the pharmaceutical business. The extensive know-how of DEBIO RP in the field of sustained drug delivery will increase our capability to immediately respond to important demands in this fast growing market." says Frédéric Neftel, M.D., CEO of DEBIOTECH.

DEBIOTECH intends to develop this new technology into an implantable device, which can either be refilled several times through a septum or withdrawn after use. The biocompatible nanoporous membrane enables sustained delivery of drugs over weeks to months. The perfectly controlled pore size of the membrane can be as small as 1nm (1 million times smaller than 1 millimetre) up to more than 250nm, with over 100 million pores per cm2 and a thickness of 100 micro-metres. The membrane is obtained by a patented technique and can be modified to adapt to specific drug delivery requirements. In vitro experiments have already demonstrated continuous release of Somatostatin over 1 month in a linear fashion. Other trials are ongoing with different peptides and anti-cancer drugs.

This technology can be easily adapted to potentially every drug by adjusting the pore size and a proprietary surface treatment. It can also be rapidly manufactured and tested in-vitro and on animals.

The intent of DEBIOTECH and DEBIO RP is to propose this new technology, under the name of "DebioSTAR", to pharmaceutical companies to offer a new range of therapeutic options and increase the efficacy and/or convenience of continuous therapy regimens. The first candidates are peptides, hormones, anti-cancer, NIAS and CNS drugs.