Advanced microporation technology for the delivery of therapeutics and vaccines
Advanced microporation technology for the delivery of therapeutics and vaccines
Passive transdermal drug delivery is a convenient and effective way to administer a variety of therapeutics. This route of administration is both noninvasive and produces steady drug delivery over an extended period of time.
While conventional transdermal systems (such as drug patches) have demonstrated the benefits of delivering drugs via the skin, they only work for an extremely limited number of drugs. This is because millions of dead skin cells form a protective barrier on the surface of the skin (the stratum corneum) that prevents most therapeutic molecules from passing into the skin. Passive transdermal patches are typically limited to lipid-soluble drugs with a molecular weight of less than 500 daltons.
As a result of these limitations, researchers have explored a variety of methods to penetrate this skin barrier - ranging from chemicals to lasers, microneedles, and ultrasound. However, many of these technologies have drawbacks or other limitations. PassPort Technologies, Inc. is looking to overcome these challenges via a novel transdermal microporation platform called the PassPort® system.
The PassPort® system is a novel active transdermal technology platform that enables efficient delivery of small molecule drugs, peptides, proteins, carbohydrates, nucleotides, and vaccines from a small conventional skin patch.
The patented system is designed for simple application and self-administration. Pressing the activation button of the applicator device releases a pulse of energy to the disposable porator. The rapid conduction of this energy into the surface of the skin painlessly ablates the stratum corneum under each porator filament to create microchannels. A simple transdermal patch containing the active ingredient is then applied to the ablated skin and drug delivery begins.
The PassPort® technology painlessly creates aqueous micropores in the stratum corneum within a few milliseconds. These aqueous channels enable drugs to flow from a transdermal patch, enter the viable epidermis, and then the systemic circulation. The patch may be formulated to provide for either immediate or sustained delivery.
PassPort Technologies is developing transdermal alternatives to invasive injection formulations…
PassPort Technologies is developing a robust internal pipeline of off-patent drugs delivered via the novel PassPort® system. The company's lead preclinical candidate is a CNS therapeutic in development in the US via the 505(b)(2) pathway. This candidate is available for license.
In addition, PassPort Technologies has ongoing collaborations with leading multinational pharmaceutical companies and academic groups. Details on these pipeline PassPort® candidates are currently undisclosed.
PassPort System - microporation and transdermal patch technology