Aesica, QRxPharma in ADF Pact

QRxPharma and Aesica Formulation Development, a subsidiary of Aesica Pharmaceuticals, will collaborate on the world-wide promotion of QRxPharma’s proprietary Stealth Beadlets abuse deterrence technology.

Under the non-exclusive collaboration agreement, Aesica will promote QRxPharma’s Stealth Beadlets technology for inclusion in clients’ existing formulations of controlled drugs. Aesica will enter into fee-for-service contracts with such third parties for the development of the new Abuse-Deterrent Formulations (ADF) of specific drugs of interest, while QRxPharma will negotiate license terms directly with each party.

“We are delighted to announce our collaboration with Aesica,” said Dr. John Holaday, managing director and chief executive officer, QRxPharma. “Their extensive experience in formulation development and contract manufacturing, together with their established client base in the controlled drug market, create a wonderful opportunity for our companies to collaborate in the application of our proprietary abuse-deterrence technology by third party pharma companies.”

QRxPharma’s proprietary Stealth Beadlets abuse-deterrence technology was developed for the MoxDuo CR (controlled release) formulation for the treatment of chronic pain. Stealth Beadlets may be incorporated into almost any solid dosage form drug with a potential for abuse, as they provide significant resistance against the extraction of active ingredients if crushed, solubilized or heated. According to a QRxPharma statement, Stealth Beadlets have no effect on the API release profile and consist entirely of patient-safe, low-cost excipients that have GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) status with the FDA. Patent applications for the ADF technology are currently under review at the U.S. patent office, and, if granted, will provide for product exclusivity until 2029.

Alan Raymond, sales and marketing director at Aesica, commented, “Aesica is very pleased to have secured this contract with QRxPharma. Indeed, we are committed to providing our customers with the most advanced technologies available for best performance and, consequently, the provision of Stealth Beadlets abuse-deterrence technology in formulation development is set to be a highly beneficial addition for our customers in the pharmaceutical and life science markets. We look forward to making this innovative technology readily available to customers across our international network.”