Pharmalink AB acquires anti-inflammatory drug candidate from Synartro AB

Pharmalink AB, a specialty pharma company, announces that it has acquired a novel product candidate in development for treating inflammation from Synartro AB. No financial details are disclosed.

The product candidate, which consists of an anti-inflammatory drug conjugated to a biopolymer, has been developed using Synartro's drug delivery technology to create locally acting pharmaceuticals with limited systemic exposure. Pharmalink intends to develop the product for osteoarthritis, an indication where it has demonstrated promising results in pre-clinical studies. Pharmalink will apply its formulation and clinical development expertise to advance the candidate product through clinical trials towards market.

Pharmalink has extensive experience in developing locally delivered anti-inflammatory drugs with limited systemic uptake. Its most advanced product is Nefecon®, a new oral, modified-release capsule of the corticosteroid, budesonide, in Phase 2b clinical development for treating patients with IgA nephropathy at risk of developing end-stage renal disease, despite optimized standard-of-care therapy.

Johan Häggblad, Managing Director of Pharmalink, said: "The acquisition of this novel product opportunity is a great addition to our pipeline and an example of the progress we are making in executing our strategy. This candidate product offers exciting potential for development in multiple inflammatory indications where local administration of the drug without systemic effects is important. It is also a good strategic fit with our existing clinical-stage portfolio."

Rune Ringom, CEO at Synartro, said: "We are very pleased to close this deal with Pharmalink. It marks the immediate interest in our biopolymer expertise for developing drug products that provide sustained local release to target tissues with minimized systemic exposure, and the realisation of our business strategy."