Nicox Enters Into Collaboration With Novaliq on Topical Ophthalmic Formulations
Nicox announced that it will be focusing its research activities on topical nitric oxide (NO)-donating phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors and soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators. As part of this focus, Nicox has entered into a research collaboration with Novaliq for the development of novel topical ophthalmic formulations of Nicox’s NO-donating PDE5 inhibitors based on Novaliq’s water-free enabling EyeSol technology, for lowering IOP.
“We have been impressed by Novaliq’s ability to successfully combine existing molecules and new chemical entities with their EyeSoltechnology. It uses a novel class of excipient that offers an opportunity to create unique formulations for the development of our NO-donating PDE5 inhibitor new chemical entities as innovative intraocular pressure lowering drug candidates,” Michele Garufi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nicox, said in a company news release. “These novel formulations could potentially have multiple benefits, including improved ocular comfort and enhanced drug delivery performance with no antimicrobial preservative.”
“There are few new chemical entities in development for glaucoma patients, and the Nicox team is clearly at the forefront of the development of novel mechanisms of action for the lowering of intraocular pressure,” Dr. Christian Roesky, Chief Executive Officer of Novaliq, said in the news release. “Our EyeSol technology has already successfully proved itself in multiple ophthalmic clinical studies and the partnership with Nicox allows us to bring together two novel technologies for innovation in the demanding field of glaucoma.”
In this collaboration, Novaliq is developing and characterizing novel formulations for lead series of the NO-donating PDE5 inhibitor new chemical entities using its EyeSol technology. If successful, Nicox will be testing the novel topical ophthalmic formulations of NO-donating PDE5 inhibitors for IOP lowering activity in established pre-clinical models. Newly developed intellectual property from the collaboration will be jointly owned.