Preclinical Data Presented at the Controlled Release Society 2013 Annual Meeting Showed Capability of Kala’s Proprietary Mucosal-Penetrating Particle Technology to Enhance Topical Delivery to the Eye
WALTHAM, MA, USA I July 23, 2013 I Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading developer of innovative products that rapidly and effectively penetrate the mucosal barrier to enable effective local treatment of ocular diseases, announced today the presentation of preclinical data which demonstrated that topical delivery of a small molecule receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (RTKi) formulated utilizing Kala’s proprietary mucosal-penetrating particle (MPP) technology significantly enhanced drug levels in the retina. Drug levels in the front of the eye were tunable depending on the release rate of MPP used. Kala presented these data at the Controlled-Release Society (CRS) 2013 Annual Meeting, in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 21-24, 2013.
“Kala’s Mucosal-Penetrating formulation of a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor enabled topical administration with what we believe is unprecedented drug concentration and sustained drug delivery to the back of the eye. These data further confirm the potential of our MPP technology as a therapeutic approach for a broad range of ocular diseases including age-related macular degeneration, which is currently treated with frequent intraocular injections,” said Hongming Chen, ScD, Vice President, Research at Kala Pharmaceuticals.
In a poster presentation entitled “Mucosal-Penetrating Particles Enable Topical Delivery to Posterior Segment of the Eye,” Kala Pharmaceuticals researchers presented preclinical data which demonstrated that:
- Topical delivery of a small molecule RTKi formulated using Kala’s MPP technology was well tolerated.
- In cornea, a single topical dose of a fast-releasing MPP produced drug levels up to 18-fold higher than those from the comparator and sustained a greater than 7 fold enhancement over the comparator for at least 6 hours. A slow-releasing MPP produced a more moderate enhancement over the comparator.
- In posterior segment tissues, both the slow- and fast-releasing MPPs outperformed the comparator and resulted in drug levels exceeding the drug’s IC50 for VEGFR2
- Drug levels in anterior segment tissues correlate with the MPP release rate and can be tuned based on the type of MPP formulation used without significantly impacting back of the eye drug levels.
About Kala Pharmaceuticals
Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is developing innovative products which are capable of penetrating mucosal barriers for the treatment of major diseases that affect the eyes, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and female reproductive system. Mucosal barriers have been largely overlooked as a limitation for drug efficacy. Using the company’s proprietary technology platform, Kala’s Mucosal-Penetrating Products (MPPs) have the unique ability to rapidly and uniformly coat and permeate mucosal tissues leading to highly effective treatments with improved side effect profiles. The company is leveraging its platform as an internal product engine for a wide spectrum of potential applications, including treatments for respiratory, ophthalmic, female reproductive tract and gastrointestinal diseases. Kala is also pursuing collaborations with partners to transform the therapeutic properties of marketed drugs and compounds in development. Kala was founded by leaders in the fields of nanomedicine and biopharmaceutical engineering, Dr. Justin Hanes of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Dr. Colin Gardner formerly of TransForm Pharmaceuticals/Johnson & Johnson and Merck. The company is now backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Polaris Venture Partners, Third Rock Ventures and, Crown Venture Fund, LLC. For more information, please visit www.kalarx.com.
SOURCE: Kala Pharmaceuticals
Post Views: 105
Preclinical Data Presented at the Controlled Release Society 2013 Annual Meeting Showed Capability of Kala’s Proprietary Mucosal-Penetrating Particle Technology to Enhance Topical Delivery to the Eye
WALTHAM, MA, USA I July 23, 2013 I Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading developer of innovative products that rapidly and effectively penetrate the mucosal barrier to enable effective local treatment of ocular diseases, announced today the presentation of preclinical data which demonstrated that topical delivery of a small molecule receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (RTKi) formulated utilizing Kala’s proprietary mucosal-penetrating particle (MPP) technology significantly enhanced drug levels in the retina. Drug levels in the front of the eye were tunable depending on the release rate of MPP used. Kala presented these data at the Controlled-Release Society (CRS) 2013 Annual Meeting, in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 21-24, 2013.
“Kala’s Mucosal-Penetrating formulation of a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor enabled topical administration with what we believe is unprecedented drug concentration and sustained drug delivery to the back of the eye. These data further confirm the potential of our MPP technology as a therapeutic approach for a broad range of ocular diseases including age-related macular degeneration, which is currently treated with frequent intraocular injections,” said Hongming Chen, ScD, Vice President, Research at Kala Pharmaceuticals.
In a poster presentation entitled “Mucosal-Penetrating Particles Enable Topical Delivery to Posterior Segment of the Eye,” Kala Pharmaceuticals researchers presented preclinical data which demonstrated that:
- Topical delivery of a small molecule RTKi formulated using Kala’s MPP technology was well tolerated.
- In cornea, a single topical dose of a fast-releasing MPP produced drug levels up to 18-fold higher than those from the comparator and sustained a greater than 7 fold enhancement over the comparator for at least 6 hours. A slow-releasing MPP produced a more moderate enhancement over the comparator.
- In posterior segment tissues, both the slow- and fast-releasing MPPs outperformed the comparator and resulted in drug levels exceeding the drug’s IC50 for VEGFR2
- Drug levels in anterior segment tissues correlate with the MPP release rate and can be tuned based on the type of MPP formulation used without significantly impacting back of the eye drug levels.
About Kala Pharmaceuticals
Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is developing innovative products which are capable of penetrating mucosal barriers for the treatment of major diseases that affect the eyes, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and female reproductive system. Mucosal barriers have been largely overlooked as a limitation for drug efficacy. Using the company’s proprietary technology platform, Kala’s Mucosal-Penetrating Products (MPPs) have the unique ability to rapidly and uniformly coat and permeate mucosal tissues leading to highly effective treatments with improved side effect profiles. The company is leveraging its platform as an internal product engine for a wide spectrum of potential applications, including treatments for respiratory, ophthalmic, female reproductive tract and gastrointestinal diseases. Kala is also pursuing collaborations with partners to transform the therapeutic properties of marketed drugs and compounds in development. Kala was founded by leaders in the fields of nanomedicine and biopharmaceutical engineering, Dr. Justin Hanes of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Dr. Colin Gardner formerly of TransForm Pharmaceuticals/Johnson & Johnson and Merck. The company is now backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Polaris Venture Partners, Third Rock Ventures and, Crown Venture Fund, LLC. For more information, please visit www.kalarx.com.
SOURCE: Kala Pharmaceuticals
Post Views: 105
