Vetter & Microdermics announce strategic partnership

Provider of pre-filled drug delivery systems Vetter and medical device company Microdermics have announced a strategic cooperation agreement to develop microneedle drug delivery systems.

The market for alternatives to needle injections is expected to exceed over 480 million units by 2030. Microneedles can offer advantages over classic needle injections by reducing the injectable dose needed to trigger an immune response and accelerating drug absorption by the body.

The potential for commercialisation though is obstructed by limited investment in scalable aseptic manufacture at the later phases of development.

To help overcome this hurdle both Vetter and Microdermics will share their expertise and enable late stage process development and device manufacture on a commercial scale. Microdermics state it has developed a commercially scalable, low-cost, customisable, metal, hollow, microneedle platform that provides efficient delivery of vaccines and biologics. The company will focus product development and clinical activities on new delivery methods for existing commercial products, providing innovative methods for partners to differentiate via a novel intradermal delivery system, as well as pursue product life cycle extensions.

Dr. Claus Feussner, Vetter’s senior vice president Development Service said: “We are very happy to enter into this agreement with Microdermics, and we are excited by the initial experience of cooperation and entrepreneurial spirit we have established with key individuals at this company. We believe that microneedles are a particularly innovative technology and may prove to be a promising future alternative for selected areas of drug delivery.”

Grant Campany, president & CEO of Microdermics: “Microdermics is extremely excited to work with a world-class partner like Vetter, since our strategic interests align and their decades of experience and innovation in the fill and finish segment will enable us to accelerate our commercialisation strategy. Vetter’s vast experience with a wide variety of drug substances provides us with an invaluable opportunity for a successful development path for our microneedle drug delivery technology.”