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http://www.surmodicspharma.com/news/nanotechnology.html
SurModics and Brookwood License Nanotechnology Drug Delivery System
EDEN
PRAIRIE, Minnesota – July 14, 2008 – SurModics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRDX), a
leading provider of surface modification and drug delivery technologies to
the healthcare industry, announced today that its Brookwood Pharmaceuticals
subsidiary has licensed lipid nanoparticle technology from PharmaSol GmbH of
Berlin, Germany. Under the agreement, Brookwood has exclusive rights to all
pharmaceutical applications of the technology.
The
PharmaSol technology can be used to formulate drugs into nanostructured lipid
carriers (NLCsTM), which offer a number of advantages over other drug
delivery nanotechnologies such as liposomes, emulsions and solid lipid
nanoparticles. These advantages include increased drug loading, improved drug
incorporation and the ability to produce suspensions of higher solids
content, allowing for decreased dose size and products with longer shelf
life. NLC formulations of drugs can be administered orally, as well as
through intravenous or subcutaneous injection. Brookwood is currently
offering this technology to potential customers, while also generating
additional data to accelerate product development of the NLC drug delivery
platform.
“This
license further broadens the drug delivery technology offerings of SurModics
and Brookwood and complements our existing portfolio,” said Arthur J. Tipton,
Ph.D., president of Brookwood. “Our microparticle technology has demonstrated
multi-day to multi-month delivery; incorporating this NLC technology can
enable shorter-duration injectable delivery, targeted delivery and high value
oral applications for nearly all therapeutic areas. The license agreement
with PharmaSol demonstrates our commitment to offering leading-edge
proprietary technologies to our customers.”
Professor
R.H. Müller, Ph.D., the inventor of the technology and founder of PharmaSol,
is a recognized leader in the field of lipid nanotechnology. Dr. Müller
stated, “I am delighted we have executed this license agreement. Brookwood
has exceptional capabilities in particle technology, including scale-up and
manufacturing. With this collaboration, we can accelerate the development of
NLC lipid technology and expand its use into a broad range of clinical
applications including oncology, central nervous system (CNS) and
cardiovascular.”
“NLC
technology broadens the nanotechnologies that we can offer to customers in
need of drug delivery solutions,” stated Thomas R. Tice, Ph.D., vice
president of research of Brookwood. “Many promising drug candidates do not
reach commercialization because they will not dissolve in the stomach or
intestinal tract. NLCs are designed to increase solubility of poorly soluble
drugs, thus improving oral bioavailability. Additionally, injectable NLC
formulations can time release drugs for up to 7 days.”
About
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology, sometimes referred to as the science of the extremely small,
has across-the-board economic and quality-of-life implications. A nanometer
is one-billionth of a meter. Human hair is approximately 80,000 nanometers
wide. Nanoscale materials are currently used in electronic, cosmetic,
automotive and medical products. Many more products, future technologies and
manufacturing techniques involving nanoscience are being researched and
developed around the world.
About
SurModics, Inc.
SurModics, Inc. is a leading provider of surface modification and drug
delivery technologies to the healthcare industry. SurModics partners with the
world’s foremost medical device, pharmaceutical and life science companies to
develop and commercialize innovative products that result in improved patient
outcomes. Core offerings include: drug delivery technologies (coatings,
microparticles, and implants); surface modification coating technologies that
impart lubricity, prohealing, and biocompatibility capabilities; and components
for in vitro diagnostic test kits and specialized surfaces for cell culture
and microarrays. Collaborative efforts include a sustained drug delivery
system in human trials for treatment of retinal disease and the drug delivery
polymer matrix on the first-to-market drug-eluting coronary stent. SurModics
is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and its Brookwood Pharmaceuticals
subsidiary is located in Birmingham, Alabama. For more information about the
company, visit www.surmodics.com. The
content of SurModics’ website is not part of this release or part of any
filings the company makes with the SEC.
Safe
Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are
not historical or current facts, including statements about beliefs and
expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and important factors could cause
actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including the
following: (1) realizing the full potential benefits of the company’s
agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. requires the development of new products
and applications of technology; (2) costs or difficulties relating to the
integration of the businesses of Brookwood Pharmaceuticals and BioFX
Laboratories with SurModics’ business may be greater than expected and may
adversely affect the company’s results of operations and financial condition;
(3) developments in the regulatory environment, as well as market and
economic conditions, and our reliance on third parties, may adversely affect
our business operations and profitability, and the company’s ability to
achieve our fiscal 2008 corporate goals and to realize the potential of our
pipeline; and (4) other factors identified under “Risk Factors” in Part I,
Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September
30, 2007, and updated in our subsequent reports filed with the SEC. These
reports are available in the Investors section of our website at www.surmodics.com and at
the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we
undertake no obligation to update them in light of new information or future
events.
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