The financing will take Calabar’s product through a Phase II study with repeated dosing. The active drug, physostigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor, targets the minor salivary glands with a direct local action, inducing a more lubricating saliva.
In previous Phase II studies with single dosing, the locally administered drug proved to significantly increase the salivary flow in patients suffering from dry mouth, the company said.
Fredrik Rook, vice president of business development at Calabar, said: “Dry mouth is affecting millions of people every day and there is a great unmet need for new drugs in this area. This will take treatment of dry mouth symptoms to a new level.”