Pheroid® Technology
The Pheroid delivery system enhances the absorption of various pharmacological compounds and biological molecules. The Pheroid Nano- and micro-vesicles and -sponges act as bio-transporters that can entrap hydrophilic, hydrophobic or amphiphilic compounds for biomedical as well as agricultural applications.
The potential use of Pheroid technology in vaccines, peptide drugs, topical products and cosmeceuticals, antimicrobial treatments and agriculture has been investigated at length. The in vivo absorption and bioavailability, as well as the in vitro efficacy of Pheroid-based formulations have been determined across a number of applications. In a Phase 1 bio-equivalence study, a Pheroid-containing combination for tuberculosis was compared against the comparative market leader. For oral administration, a precursor format, the pro-Pheroid®, was developed, wherein the vesicles and/or sponges are formed post-administration. In all of these areas, the Pheroid showed applicability: the results showed improved uptake and/or efficacy of the entrapped chemical or biological compound after administration by a number of administration routes.
Based on these in vitro and in vivo results, a number of products have been developed, or are currently under development and a number of patents are registered in various countries to protect its applications.
A toxicity profile of the Pheroid® technology in rodents