EsoCap Announces Publication “Development of a HotMelt Extrusion-Based Spinning Process to Produce Pharmaceutical Fibers and Yarns”
EsoCap has announced that scientists from the University of Greifswald have published important data regarding a hot-melt extrusion-based spinning process to produce pharmaceutical fibers and yarns. This spinning process is very useful in the context of EsoCap’s novel drug delivery technology, enabling targeted and long-lasting local therapy of the esophagus. The rapidly dissolving yarn is a key element in the innovative EsoCap system which enables local placement of drug-loaded films and targeted, long-lasting drug delivery in the esophagus (Rosenbaum et al., Pharmaceutics 2022, 14, 1229).
In contrast to tablets, capsules or viscous fluids, which are known for short esophageal transit times, for the first time the EsoCap system ensures a targeted and long-lasting drug delivery in the esophagus. The EsoCap system is a unique drug delivery system consisting of a capsule holder containing a hard capsule, with a rolled, thin mucoadhesive film, a sinker, and a water-soluble yarn. The capsule holder is screwed onto the lid of a drinking cup to facilitate swallowing while drinking from the cup. Upon swallowing, the yarn allows the film to unroll and stick to the esophageal mucosa, where the film slowly dissolves while delivering the active substance to the mucosa.
“The development of a hot-melt extrusion-based spinning process considerably increases the EsoCap system’s manufacturing options,” said Prof. Werner Weitschies, head of the Biopharmaceutics group at the Center of Drug Absorption and Transport. “These developments form the basis for an even greater level of patient acceptance of EsoCap’s novel drug delivery technology.”
About EsoCap
EsoCap AG is a privately funded company based in Basel, Switzerland.
EsoCap’s vision is to improve the lives of patients with serious diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract through development of a unique and innovative topical drug delivery platform.
Effective topical treatment of the esophagus is extremely difficult to achieve with the current standard of care, due to the ultra-short drug contact time of one to two seconds from the mouth to the stomach. Lead candidate ESO-101 has received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of EoE and is in clinical development for this indication.
EsoCap has developed a unique, proprietary drug delivery platform allowing the efficient topical application of drug substances for the local treatment of diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. EsoCap has a strong and broad intellectual property position.
About the University of Greifswald
Across numerous departments and disciplines, the University of Greifswald community advances ideas and innovations that enrich human life. The University’s departments encompass a wide range of fields, including General and Clinical Pharmacology, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, and all clinical disciplines. The Center of Drug Absorption and Transport (C_DAT) is an internationally recognized center of expertise, in which research groups from the University of Greifswald and University Medical Center Greifswald investigate the processes of absorption and transport of drugs through to their desired - and unwanted - sites of effect in the human body.
The C_DAT is respected worldwide and is a leading center of excellence for drug absorption and transport in Europe.