TransPharma-Medical Ltd., an Israeli-based specialty pharma company that develops pharmaceutical products based on its transdermal RF-MicroChannels drug delivery technology, has announced promising results of first human clinical trials demonstrating delivery of human Parathyroid Hormone 1-34 fragment (hPTH 1-34) across the skin for the treatment of osteoporosis.

The results of the study, presented at IIR’s Drug Delivery Partnerships 2006 conference held in London, prove efficient delivery of the osteoporosis medication into the patients’ bloodstream with relative bioavailability in comparison to delivery by injection of over 50%. These results show the ability to deliver the required medicated dose via TransPharma’s pen size system incorporating a 1cm2 small patch. Scientists at TransPharma have formulated the drug into a stable printed dry-form patch that allows for the hPTH (1-34) to deliver into the patients’ systemic circulation with a peak blood profile.

Analysis of two biomarkers (ionized calcium and phosphorus) confirmed that the bioactivity of the delivered hormone was fully maintained.

The ViaDerm delivery system incorporates a device, which creates microscopic passageways through the outer layer of the skin allowing for therapeutic administration of a wide variety of drugs from a patch. This device designed to deliver the hPTH (1-34) is a hand-held pen-size unit, which provides a painless, very low-cost, easy to use application.