Upfront

Actis Biologics completes two acquisitions in US

Actis Biologics has acquired patented techn-ology platform for effective treatment of hepatic cancer, from CellPoint Diagnostics, USA, which is based on ligand linker drug delivery [LLD] system, and can trem-endously reduce the toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. In this therapy, the attached ligand directs the chemother-apeutic agent like 5FdU to the target cell, delivering the drug to malignant cells through the hepatic asialogly-coprotein receptors, where it only affects rapidly growing cells, namely cancer cells. This mode of action explains the low toxicity of the drug. The new product is expected to enter phase I clinical trials in India, the US and Europe.

PN Venugopalan, President, Actis, said that pre-clinical studies of the technology have demonstra-ted that toxicity of the drug in the liver can be substantially reduced. This is of tremend-ous importance in tackling such oncological disorders, as the human liver is a sensit-ive organ to chemotherapy drugs. Currently there are no effective drugs for the treatment of hepatic cancer. The technology has already been given an Orphan Drug status by the US FDA.

Subsequently, Actis acquired a patented spacer technology for metered dose inhalers (MDI) from US-based CFD Research Corporation (CFDRC). "Actis will soon seek approval from the US FDA and expect an approval within a year. The technology will be marketed globally by Cogenesis Biotech, the Malaysia-based subsidiary of the company," said Sanjeev Saxena, Chairman ABPL. The technology was acquired through a combina-tion of equity and royalty for sales by Cogenesis. The present market for spacer technology is estimated to be $100-200 million. The spacer has been developed by a team led by Dr. Shankar Sundaram and Dr. Ashok Singhal of CFDRC.

"This spacer is designed in such a way that it delivers about 40 percent more drug to the patient than from the leading spacers available in the market,"said Sharma.