Intarcia launches Medici drug delivery platform

Intarcia Therapeutics said today it launched its subcutaneous Medici drug delivery system designed for the continuous delivery of medication.

The Medici system is comprised of a matchstick-sized osmotic minipump placed just under the skin to deliver medication, a placement system for implantation and stabilization technology designed for proteins, peptides, antibody fragments and other high-potency small molecules.

The company said its system will be on display at the American Diabetes Association’s 76th scientific sessions in New Orleans later this month.

“Delivering drugs via our new technology has the potential to open up a new way of delivering novel medicines just once-yearly. One of the biggest problems in chronic diseases is millions of patients lack effective control of their condition due to sub-optimal effectiveness of their medication, and the fact is, the majority of patients with chronic conditions stop taking these pills and injections, after just three-to-six months. We are aiming to address these serious and costly unmet needs by introducing a new way to deliver once-yearly therapies that hold the potential for game-changing improvements in outcomes and patient adherence over time. We believe that our novel technology platform, the Medici Drug Delivery System, represents the potential for a renaissance in medicine delivery for the treatment of major chronic diseases,” CEO Kurt Graves said in a press release.

The platform’s osmotic mini-pump is designed to be placed by a trained physician, assistant or nurse practitioner.

The mini-pump device operates as water from extracellular fluid enters the pump at one end by diffusing through a semi-permeable membrane into a salt osmotic engine that forces the drug within the pump to be released at a steady rate, Intarcia said.

The Boston-based company said the platform “has the potential to be used in chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, autoimmune and other serious diseases,” according to a press release. Intarcia said it is currently researching new therapies to use within the drug delivery technology.

Last week, Intarcia and pharmaceuticals maker Numab said they’ve logged several milestones in their joint project to develop a drug-device combination for treating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Wädenswil, Switzerland-based Numab identified a pair of antibody-based compounds for the program, which aims to use the delivery and formulation technology developed by Cambridge, Mass.-based Intarcia.

The companies said Intarcia has successfully formulated versions of both the molecule targets identified by Numab.