Marillion Pharmaceuticals and Cytokine PharmaSciences Announce
License Agreement for Xerostomia Treatment
Marillion Acquires Exclusive Worldwide Rights to Pilocarpine
Buccal Insert for Xerostomia and Sjögren's
Syndrome from Cytokine PharmaSciences
MALVERN, Pa. & KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (Business Wire EON) February 25, 2008 --
Marillion Pharmaceuticals Inc and Cytokine PharmaSciences Inc (CPSI)
announced today that the two companies have entered into a license
agreement granting Marillion exclusive worldwide rights to develop and
commercialize CPSI’s Pilobuc™
buccal insert for the treatment of xerostomia.
Xerostomia, meaning dry mouth, is characterized by the chronic loss of
salivary gland function and has been associated with various autoimmune
diseases (e.g. Sjögren's syndrome), treatment
with numerous medications and radiotherapy for head and neck cancers.
Xerostomia is a debilitating condition that may lead to difficulty
speaking, swallowing and alteration in taste and is accompanied by
halitosis and a significant increase in the incidence of oral
infections, including candida and severe dental caries.
“The most common therapy for xerostomia is a
tablet form of pilocarpine, which requires frequent oral dosing due to
the short serum half-life of the active drug and causes dose limiting
side effects in many patients,” commented Dr.
Zahed Subhan, Chief Executive Officer, Marillion Pharmaceuticals. “Pilobuc
is a novel, proprietary, buccal formulation of pilocarpine shown in
clinical trials to effectively and conveniently deliver the drug with
reduced side effects compared to other routes of administration. Pilobuc
has the potential to be a significant product in the xerostomia market,
currently estimated to be worth more than $350 million worldwide,”
added Dr Subhan.
CPSI’s Pilobuc insert is based on a hydrogel
polymer technology that delivers drugs to the buccal mucosa. The buccal
insert allows controlled and sustained release over a period of several
hours, relieving some of the problems associated with short term
activities of many drugs. Also, absorption through the oral mucosa
minimizes swallowing of the drug and thereby avoids many unpleasant side
effects associated with absorption in the gut. Pilobuc allows for the
sustained buccal delivery of pilocarpine while reducing the side effects
associated with oral systemic treatments.
“We believe Marillion is a strong partner for
Pilobuc based on the company’s extensive
background and focus on oncology drug development,”
commented Vidal de la Cruz, Ph.D, Vice President, Business Development,
CPSI. “As Cytokine PharmaSciences continues
to progress its pipeline of products in women’s
health, inflammation and cancer, we will look for key strategic
alliances, such as this licensing agreement with Marillion, to maximize
the value of our clinical and preclinical stage assets.”
About Marillion Pharmaceuticals
Marillion Pharmaceuticals is an emerging clinical-stage pharmaceuticals
company dedicated to the development and commercialization of novel
therapeutics for the treatment of cancers and for supportive care in
oncology. Marillion’s product pipeline
includes MN-201, the first synthetic vitamin D5 receptor ligand to be
advanced into clinical development for a variety of cancers including
breast, prostate and colon cancers. Marillion was founded in 2005
following seed funding from BioAdvance. Series A funding was received
from APIDC/Venture East. Visit www.marillionpharma.com
for more information.
About Cytokine PharmaSciences
Cytokine PharmaSciences is a biopharmaceutical company located in King
of Prussia (near Philadelphia), Pennsylvania. The company developed and
manufactures Cervidil®/Propess®,
used in the obstetrics field for cervical ripening in the induction of
labor. CPSI is focused on the use of polymers for the delivery of drugs
to the vagina or buccal cavity, as well as the development of novel
targets and therapeutic agents for the treatment of inflammation,
autoimmune diseases and cancer. For more information, visit www.cytokinepharmasciences.com.
MULTIMEDIA GALLERY http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5617648
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