The Medical House signs key agreement

DRUG delivery specialist The Medical House has announced it has signed a non-exclusive development, licensing and supply agreement with Catalent.

The Sheffield-based company said under the terms of the deal it will customise its patented ASI disposable autoinjector device technology which will be combined with epinephrine supplied by Catalent to create epinephrine autoinjectors for both adult and paediatric use.

The epinephrine autoinjectors are designed for emergency treatment of anaphylactic shock, mostly due to hymenoptera venom or food allergies and for the use by the patients themselves, or by a person close to a patient, in the event of an emergency.

The newly created product will be distributed exclusively by Stallergenes which is an European biopharmaceutical company, with annual sales in 2007 of €147m, dedicated to desensitisation therapies for the prevention and treatment of allergy-related conditions.

The agreement covers 13 European countries, including the UK and incorporates provision for extension to additional territories.

Chairman Ian Townsend said: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Catalent and Stallergenes and believe there is tremendous potential for all three parties to prosper from this collaboration.

“This follows on from the agreement recently signed with Dr Reddy’s and continues the expansion of our income streams from our ASI disposable autoinjector technology.”

Richard Yarwood, group president of Catalent’s Sterile Technologies Division, said: “Catalent is pleased to combine its long-standing experience in product development with The Medical House’s leading-edge technologies.”