Medical dermatology company Leo Pharma has entered into a global collaboration and licence agreement with venture-backed medical device firm Portal Instruments to develop needle-free drug delivery device.
Under the deal, Portal’s needle-free drug delivery system will be developed for use in combination with Leo Pharma’s investigational and approved medicines.
A needle-free jet injector platform has been developed by Portal Instruments to meet the increasing demand from patients to self-administer biologics without using needles.
The needle-free drug delivery device will help to avoid the use of sharps containers at home, as well as cuts down the time needed for self-injections.
The needle-free technology is becoming significant due to the increasing use of monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins in drug development.
Portal needle-free system delivers medicine through pressurised liquid jet
The Portal drug administration technology was initially developed by Professor Ian Hunter’s group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The technology is believed to change the way of administering injectable medicines across a wide range of therapeutic indications.
The Portal needle-free system features re-usable and software-controlled handheld injection device, in addition to the single-use pre-filled cartridge. The medicine is delivered through a pressurised liquid jet rather than a needle.
According to the company, the Portal drug administration has been clinically demonstrated to be less painful and more preferred by patients as against standard needle-based injection.
Leo Pharma global development senior vice president Christian Antoni said: “LEO Pharma’s novel therapies in the field of medical dermatology combined with Portal’s innovative approach to drug administration offer hope to people living with debilitating skin diseases.
“It is our ambition that this collaboration will lead to new and easier ways for people with skin diseases to administer our treatments on their own in the comfort of their home with a needle-free solution.”
Portal Instruments is involved in the development and commercialisation of connected, needle-free drug delivery platform to administer medications for chronic diseases. Leo Pharma provides a wide range of therapies for different dermatological conditions.
