NanoMedical Systems (NMS) is a new drug delivery device company, founded in late 2007 by Mauro Ferrari, Randy Goodall and Dave Saathoff. The company aims to commercialize the nanochannel drug delivery system developed by Dr. Mauro Ferrari and licensed through UT Health Science Center in Houston (URHSC-H). Dr. Ferrari is a professor at URHSC-H, MD Anderson and Rice University and holds a seat on the NMS Board of Directors.

NMS has its offices and labs in Austin and Houston, whereas the headquarters and product development are located only at the Sematech site, in Austin, operated by SVTC Technologies LLC. Through a sponsored research agreement with UTHSC-H, Mauro Ferrari’s staff performs biomedical research. Additionally, NMS has an agreement with Minco Technology Labs and maintains a GMP facility at their Austin site. The company expects a team of 15 people to bring its first product to clinical trials.

NMS is currently developing a high precision nanoenginereed under-the-skin implant to yield long-term, controlled release of drugs. The nanochannel delivery system or nDSs contains nanochannels fabricated in between two directly bonded silicon warfers and therefore poses high mechanical strength, compared to non-porous through thin membranes - so that it would not break in a body, if implanted. Its combination of mechanical, structural and electronic characteristics would overcome the disadvantages of current drug delivery release technologies. The nanochannel fabrication is based upon consumption of silicon during oxidation. Dry oxidation with a controlled temperature and time allows the control of the nanochannel’s height. The drug being delivered diffuses through the nanochannels, thus the height and pore distribution is the rate-limiting step for the delivery of drugs. The effective porosity of the device depends upon the number, length and width of the nanochannels. These geometries can be modified to design a desired flow rate.

The purpose is to achieve a continuous zero-order kinetics drug release profile where the concentration of the drug in blood remains constant throughout the delivery of the drug. This will take so many therapeutic advantages like minimize adverse reaction by reducing the peak levels, predictable and extended duration of action and thereby improved patient compliance due to reduced frequent dosing.

Some of the suggested applications of this device would be the controlled release of cytokine interferon alpha-2b for the treatment of metastatic melanoma or of tacrolimus for immunosuppresion during after lung transplantation.

The Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) provided NMS with a $5 million grant for the nanofabrication of the system at the company’s Advanced Technology Development Facility (ATDF) at the Semantech site, along with a $2.5 million grant in 2006 to provide staff and start-up funds. In November 17, 2008, NMS has received $3.5M from the ETF to accelerate the completion and preclinical testing of the device.

The company expects to file applications with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration next year.            

Source: NanoMedical Systems, Inc.