Merrion to add GIPET to H-F's neuroprotectant

Hunter-Fleming, a UK-based biopharmaceutical company focused on neurological and cardiac disorders, has commenced an oral drug-delivery research collaboration with the USA's Merrion Pharmaceuticals. The two companies intend to combine Hunter-Fleming's drug candidate, HF0420, which has demonstrated neuroprotective and neurotrophic activity in vivo, with Merrion's Gastrointestinal Permeation Enhancement Technology (GIPET) delivery platform. Financial terms were not disclosed.

HF0420 is an orally-active compound, which has completed Phase Ia studies, that is expected to improve behavioral deficits in the elderly. The firms hope that Merrion's GIPET will improve the agent's oral bioavailability ahead of Phase II trials in 2007.

According to Merrion, in 16 clinical studies GIPET has been shown to improve the bioavailability of a wide range of drugs by between 500% and 1,400%. Merrion currently has four in-house development programs, as well as several collaboration agreements, underway using GIPET.