Antares Announces TecTix Drug Delivery System

On April 24, Antares Pharma (Exton, PA, www.antarespharma.com) unveiled its new “TecTix” advanced transdermal delivery system for the transport of topical drug and excipients across the skin by changing the melting point of the active ingredient. Whereas previous methods focused on the delivery of the drug through the dermis and directly into the bloodstream, the TecTix method can be used locally for dermatological treatments and local anesthetics.

“What we are doing is lowering the melting point of the drug such that the drug’s ability to permeate [the skin] is increased without alcohol,” says James Hattersley, business development manager at Antares. Previous methods required permeation enhancers such as alcohol that increase inflammation when treating skin problems such as psoriasis.

According to a company announcement, “The system has been successfully tested in vitro on numerous drug models, including AP-1118, a local anesthetic where concentration in the dermis was increased by +236%, improving the topical to systemic absorption ratio.”

Hattersley says that the technology has been under development for the past three-and-a-half years, and there is interest from companies seeking to use the system for dermatological applications, hair removal treatments, and local anesthetics.