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Innovation & Technologie Angebot

French Technology Transfer Office offers a new formulation free of prilocaine of topical anesthetics

Country of Origin: France
Reference Number: TOFR20171117001
Publication Date: 17 November 2017

Summary

The French TTO (Technology Transfer Office) has developed a very stable new formulation for topical anesthetics with rapid onset of action. They demonstrated that the existing topical anesthetics could be toxics especially in pediatry because of the use of prilocaine.
It is proposed to develop the new formulation, free of prilocaine, in vitro stage to in vivo stage, through licence agreement or research cooperation agreement.

Description

The French TTO (Technology Transfer Office) is acting on behalf of an established public laboratory of a university of the Paris region.

The French public laboratory has developed a very stable new formulation of topical anesthetics for drugs or medicines that reduce the sensation of pain in the area to which they are applied.

Topical anesthetics ( gel, spray, cream, patch, etc), provide a local anesthesia before a superficial operation by penetrating the epidermis to target directly free nerves endings in the dermis. This technology offer proposes an optimized anesthetic emulsion free of prilocaine, formulated from a eutectic mixture of lidocaine and unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) which is getting a quick transdermal delivery of drugs. 

Many applications could be launched such as topical anesthesic (cream, spray,patch,..) or anthalgic formulation free of prilocaine or topical drug (cream or gel) for premature ejaculation.

It is proposed to develop the therapeutic from in vitro stage to in vivo stage. The French TTO is looking for a company that will licence the patent or sign a research cooperation agreement in order to go through clinical phases and develop a drug delivered on the market.

Advantages and Innovations

The formulation at a physiological pH (or neutral pH) avoids skin irritation observed with available topical anesthetics on the market. 

But the most important advantage of this formulation, compared to the state of the art, is to be free of prilocaine. Indeed, most commonly used creams and topical anesthetics are formulated from an eutectic mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine. However, prilocaine has been associated with increased risk of side effect (methemoglobinemia). That could be toxic especially for babies and for pregnant women. So developing a new drug free of prilocaine could be used by everyone.



Furthermore, compared to local anaesthetics existing on the market, this drug has a potential for long duration and fast onset of action.

Another benefit of the new formulation consists in the production process facilitated with an auto-emulsifiable system and the nanoemulsion is stable between 6° and 35°C (ambient temperature).

Stage Of Development

Under development/lab tested

Stage Of Development Comment

In vitro proof of concept on a human skin explant against euthetic mixture of local anaesthetic (EMLA)

Requested partner

The TTO is looking for a company that will licence the patent or sign a research cooperation agreement in order to go through clinical phases and develop the drug for topical anesthetics with a new formulation of lidocaine free of prilocaine. The partner sought could be a SME or a large firm.