Danish biotech Tetra Pharm Technologies announced promising results from a pre-clinical in vitro trial of its pain-relieving drug – TPT0301 – using a novel drug delivery technology. It was compared against more commonly used formulations for drug delivery in the oral cavity.

A validated artificial membrane, designed to mimic the oral mucosa, was used for the release studies along with relevant biological media. Because the oral mucosa is highly vascularized, drugs that are absorbed through the oral mucosa directly enter the systemic circulation, thereby bypassing the gastrointestinal tract and avoiding first-pass metabolism in the liver. This makes oral mucosal delivery an attractive alternative to conventional tablets and capsules.

“The results from the in-vitro study are very convincing, showing superior release to the reference formulations, and we are confident the upcoming In-Vitro pharmacokinetic (PK) study will further support the In-Vitro findings,” commented Dr Morten Allesø, Chief Scientific Officer, Tetra Pharm Technologies.

TPT0301 targets the endocannabinoid system, a widespread neuromodulatory system that regulates many of the most critical bodily functions, such as learning and memory, emotion, sleep, temperature, pain, inflammatory and immune responses, and appetite.

“In alignment with our long-term strategy, we will continue to invest heavily in research and development of new drug candidates targeting the endocannabinoid system and related disease indications. We are very encouraged by the positive results from the pre-clinical studies of TPT0301, which confirms the great potential and value of our programmes,” said Martin Rose, CEO, Tetra Pharm Technologies.”