THERAPEUTIC MARKETS

Adult Acne/Psoriasis

Acne affects nearly 17 million people in the United States. While acne is more prevalent during adolescence, acne affects millions of adults, especially adult women. Acne may be triggered by several factors such as hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, menstrual cycles, stress, vitamin deficiency, the use of drugs and medications, and exposure to chemicals. According to Acne.org, 50percent of adult women and 25 percent of adult men suffer from acne.

Mild acne is treated with OTC topical ointments such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. Moderate to severe acne is treated by dermatologists who prescribe oral and topical medications.

For moderate to severe acne doctors often prescribe oral antibiotics such as tetracyline and doxycycline. These antibiotics may be combined with topical treatment such as retinoids, which are very effective at unplugging hair follicles. However, retinoids such as Accutane can have severe side effects such as birth defects, depression, muscle aches, and sensitivity to sun. Acne can also be treated using lasers and photodynamic therapy. In addition to drug therapy, dermatologists will also perform in-office procedures to treat acne. Dermatologists perform intra-lesional therapy by injecting corticosteroids directly into single acne cystic lesions for faster action and better results. Patients like this therapy because it eliminates the need for repeated topical and oral therapy and the results are instantaneous. Women often seek intra-lesional therapy to eliminate embarrassing and unsightly single large acne lesions.

There is an unmet market need for Transport’s drug/device product, a product which will deliver a high concentration of a corticosteroid directly to a single acne lesion without the need of visiting the dermatologist and receiving an injection. Transport’s ETS device allows for self-administration by the patient for the local delivery of a corticosteroid. As with SoloVir™ ETS, Transport’s product for the treatment of herpes labialis, the acne product will be made available by prescription, allowing the patient to treat at first signs and symptoms and reduce the swelling before the acne blemish became unsightly.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, genetic disease manifesting in the skin and/or the joints. Psoriasis is a serious, non-contagious and life-long skin disease affecting more than 4.5 million people in the United States. Psoriasis has different forms and affects people in different ways; some people may have a spot or two, while others may have extensive coverage on their body. Between 10 percent and 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop a related form of arthritis. Approximately 80 percent of psoriasis sufferers have mild to moderate disease. There are five different types of psoriasis. The most common form of psoriasis is called "plaque psoriasis," which is characterized by well-defined patches of red, raised skin. About 80 percent of people with psoriasis have this type. Plaque psoriasis can appear on any skin surface, although the knees, elbows, scalp, trunk and nails are the most common locations. Researchers believe that psoriasis is an auto-immune disease, caused when the immune system sends faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle in skin cells. Certain people carry genes that make them more likely to develop psoriasis, but not everyone with these genes develops psoriasis. Instead, a "trigger" makes the psoriasis appear in those who have these genes. Emotional stress, injury to the skin, some types of infection, and reaction to certain drugs are believed to be some of the triggers for psoriasis. Unfortunately, some triggers may work together to cause an outbreak of psoriasis, making it difficult to identify individual factors. Once the disease is triggered, the skin cells pile up on the surface of the body faster than normal. In people without psoriasis, skin cells mature and are shed about every 28 days. In psoriatic skin, the skin cells move rapidly up to the surface of the skin over three to six days. The body can't shed the skin cells fast enough and this process results in patches also called "lesions" forming on the skin's surface.

Transport is developing a formulation of an approved steroid drug optimized for iontophoretic delivery in unit dose, pre-loaded, drug applicators designed to cover elbows, knees and other body parts commonly affected by psoriasis. This will allow the delivery of topical steroids for the treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis in 80 percent of psoriasis sufferers, without the risk of unwanted side-effects. In addition, the patient will be able to administer the treatments at home.