Vyteris, Inc., developer of the first FDA-approved active transdermal drug delivery system and a leader in active transdermal drug delivery technology, announced an agreement with Zealand Pharma A/S, a Denmark-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative peptide-based drugs, to apply Vyteris’ technology to the controlled transdermal delivery of Zealand Pharma’s peptide optimization technology. “This strategic partnership with Zealand Pharma, a recognized leader in peptide drug development, marks another milestone in the active roll-out of our patented smart patch transdermal technology for the delivery of high-value, therapeutic peptides,” said Dr. Haro Hartounian, president and chief executive officer of Vyteris, Inc. “Needle-free, tightly controlled delivery of peptides via active, transdermal patches is an innovative and patient-friendly route of administration which can lead to increased safety and compliance. Our ongoing female infertility project with Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has now entered clinical phase II, and we hope to continue this success in transdermal peptide delivery with our new partner Zealand Pharma,” Hartounian added. In the first phase of this collaboration, the companies will test the feasibility of smart patch-based transdermal delivery of a peptide drug candidate in animal models. Upon completion of this study, the companies could decide to further develop and commercialize this peptide or other peptide therapeutics in Zealand Pharma’s product portfolio. “In working with Vyteris and its transdermal delivery technology, we believe this represents a strong collaborative effort to develop innovative new methods of peptide drug delivery that may have significant advantages in efficacy, patient compliance and tolerability,” said David Solomon, chief executive officer of Zealand Pharma. “With our peptide-based drugs aimed at treating unmet medical needs, we are eager to conduct this feasibility study and apply our knowledge of peptide optimization to Vyteris’ transdermal delivery technology.”
