NexMed's NexACT-based topical psoriasis treatment bioequivalent to Talconex

NexMed, Inc. (Nasdaq: NEXM), a specialty CRO with a pipeline of products based on the NexACT^® technology, today announced results from a pre-clinical study showing that calcipotriene 0.005% and betamethasone dipropionate 0.064%, when formulated with NexACT^®, results in a topical treatment which shows bioequivalecy in efficacy to Talconex^®, one of the leading topical treatments marketed for patients with mild to moderate psoriasis.

NexMed conducted two pre-clinical studies on its NexACT-based topical psoriasis treatment. The first efficacy study using a cadaver skin model showed that the NexACT-based formulation of the two active drugs delivered the same level of drugs (measured in ug/cm²/hour) as compared to the commercial Talconex^® product. In a second efficacy study, using the DNFB induced allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) pig model, results showed that the NexACT-based formulation significantly lowered the clinical inflammation and erythema score in sick animals. The DNFB induced ACD pig model is the standard pre-clinical model for testing efficacy of calcipotriene-based drugs for psoriasis treatments under development.

Bassam Damaj, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of NexMed, stated, "We have a competitive psoriasis treatment under development. Our NexACT-based formulation is novel and does not infringe on the marketed topical treatments. Our data, though early stage, shows bioequivalency to Talconex^®, and further supports the versatility of the NexACT technology and its applicability to a broad range of disease states. We look forward to commencing partnering discussions for continued development of this product candidate."