Sticky patents licenced from MOD

Archimedes Development has licensed a portfolio of patents from Ploughshare Innovations - the technology transfer arm of the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

Commercial chitosan is derived from the shells of shrimp and other sea crustaceans

Archimedes Development - a subsidiary of the speciality pharma company Archimedes Pharma - have interest in the technology based on the use of a more water soluble form of chitosan, a naturally occurring adhesive polysaccharide.

The new IP will allow Archimedes to extend the applicability of ChiSys, its intranasal drug delivery technology, and in particular is likely to be of use in administering vaccines without injections. Alan Smith, vice president of R&D at Archimedes Development, said: “This new addition to our capability is specifically aimed at developing still further our ability to promote immune responses to antigens which are difficult to give by other routes.”

In pre-clinical and clinical studies ChiSys has been shown to enhance the immune response generated by nasally-administered vaccines to a range of viral diseases. It is currently being used in an in-house programme on flu and in a co-development programme with LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals to develop vaccines to Norovirus and Anthrax.

Andy Tulloch, chief executive of Ploughshare Innovations, said Ploughshare’s mission is to license Dstl technologies to industry so that the benefits of tax payer-funded research can be realised.

“The integration of Dstl’s oral vaccine technology with Archimedes’ ChiSys platform is another example of the successful commercialisation of defence technology. The licence highlights both the commercial and social value of the work carried out at Dstl,” he said.