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news.Transport Pharmaceuticals has licensed its lead device/drug combination system for the delivery of approved cold sore treatment acyclovir to GlaxoSmithKline, granting GSK marketing rights in Europe, Australia, Latin America and South Africa.
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Acyclovir 5% cream is marketed as an over-the-counter (OTC) product in these territories for the treatment of cold sores (herpes labialis).
Under the terms of the agreement, Transport will receive an upfront license fee from GSK, as well as milestone and royalty payments. GSK will provide technical support and contribute to certain costs of the upcoming European phase III clinical trials.
Transport’s oral herpes product delivers acyclovir directly to affected skin at concentrations considerably higher than conventional topical formulations. This approach addresses the challenge of rapidly achieving clinically active concentrations of drug in the skin necessary to treat the virus – a barrier that limits the efficacy of available oral herpes therapies.
In addition, Transport’s product requires only one ten-minute application, compared with available formulations that require multiple applications each day for several days.
Transport’s platform is based on iontophoresis, a technology employing a low-voltage electrical charge to increase skin permeability in order to locally deliver medication through the skin.