Auriga to develop gastrointestinal disorder drugs using Degussa drug delivery technology

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Aug. 22 - Auriga Laboratories, Inc. announced Monday the execution of a strategic agreement with Degussa to develop a proprietary formulation targeting serious chronic gastrointestinal diseases using Degussa's proprietary Eudracol technology.

Auriga said it is developing an oral, controlled-release corticosteroid formulation that targets inflammatory bowel disease lesions at different sites within the gastrointestinal tract, according to a company news release.

Degussa said it will provide the proprietary drug delivery technology and formulation concentrating the therapeutic benefits of the selected corticosteroid specifically where it is needed in the gastrointestinal tract, providing dosing and efficacy, and reducing side effects.

"Auriga has always held a fundamental belief that corticosteroids represent a major untapped therapeutic resource for the treatment of Crohn's disease. We are very pleased to see our belief has now been justified with the recent announcement by the American Academy of Gastroenterology, recommending a corticosteroid as first-line therapy for mild to moderate Crohn's," Philip Pesin, chief executive officer of Auriga, said in the release.

Drug delivery to specific disease sites within the gastrointestinal tract is essential for the creation of improved pharmacological treatments with greater efficacy and reduced side effects for the patient suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases.

Under the agreement, Degussa said it is responsible for development of the prototype formulations. Auriga said it is responsible for formulation scale-up, manufacture, clinical, regulatory submission/approval and product launch and marketing.

Eudracol is a proprietary multi-layer colonic drug delivery system that is designed to provide drug protection in the upper gastrointestinal tract and controlled drug release in the ileum and colon.

Degussa is a Dusseldorf, Germany, specialty chemicals company.

Auriga is a Norcross, Ga., specialty pharmaceutical company.

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