OctoPlus gains drug delivery technology from IsoTis

OctoPlus NV, a Netherlands-based drug-delivery and development company, has reached agreement with IsoTis to obtain additional rights to its PolyActive drug delivery technology, which is used in the Dutch firm's lead product Locteron, a controlled-release formulation of interferon alfa for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, currently in Phase IIa studies.

Under the revised agreement, OctoPlus obtains full rights to the PolyActive technology and its intellectual property in certain strategic areas, including additional applications in orthopedics. Furthermore, the contract has financial benefits for OctoPlus as it includes an upfront license fee of 1.25 million euros ($1.7 million), which will decrease future payments on OctoPlus' revenues using PolyActive.

OctoPlus had gained access to PolyActive from IsoTis in 2003, when it acquired its affiliate Chienna BV. The license agreement covered the IP rights to the technology in the areas of pharmaceuticals and medical device coatings. Under the revised deal, OctoPlus gains control over the use and manufacturing of the technology to include all applications in controlled-release pharmaceuticals, medical coatings and orthopedics, as well as all IP covering the technology in these areas. IsoTis retains the rights to manufacture, market and sell orthopedic plugs and cement restrictors including those related to its marketed product SynPlug.