On July 22, 2014 MonoSol Rx, the developer of PharmFilm drug delivery technology, reported that it has licensed Zuplenz (ondansetron) to Galena Biopharma, a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing innovative, targeted oncology treatments that address major unmet medical needs to advance cancer care (Press release, MonoSol Rx, JUL 22, 2014, View Source [SID:1234508915]). Zuplenz is an oral soluble film (OSF) for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced, radiotherapy-induced, and postoperative nausea and vomiting.
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The licensing agreement includes an undisclosed upfront payment from Galena, as well as double digit royalty payments from sales of Zuplenz. Zuplenz is the first oral soluble lingual film product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a prescription medication, based on MonoSol Rx’s proprietary PharmFilm technology.
Keith J. Kendall, Co-President and Chief Operating Officer of MonoSol Rx, remarked, "Partnering with Galena Biopharma to provide Zuplenz to patients in need further reinforces MonoSol Rx’s position as a leader in the oral soluble film pharmaceutical market. Through this partnership, we hope to empower supportive care providers with a more comfortable, easier-to-use formulation of ondansetron that addresses a significant unmet medical need, particularly among cancer patients. With the increased availability of Zuplenz, clinicians will be able to improve the level of care they provide by utilizing our innovative drug delivery technology to eliminate swallowing issues and discomfort associated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery."
"We are pleased to be working with MonoSol Rx to offer Zuplenz to patients in need," said Mark J. Ahn, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Galena Biopharma. "MonoSol Rx’s oral film delivery technology represents a substantive advancement in terms of ease of use and compliance for supportive care patients, where difficulty swallowing can be a major issue. Providing patients with an alternative solution for nausea and vomiting has long been a concept that oncologists and the general surgeon and oncology nurse communities have sought, and that we are eager to deploy."
Zuplenz is a unique formulation of ondansetron using MonoSol Rx’s proprietary PharmFilm technology, co-developed with partner APR Applied Pharma Research s.a. of Switzerland. It is based on a novel and proprietary oral drug delivery technology platform and consists of a polymeric OSF containing ondansetron. Once placed in the mouth, it dissolves in a few seconds, allowing the medication to be absorbed and delivered without water.