Proprietary ZipDose technology creates patient-friendly rapidly disintegrating oral forms.

Three-dimensional drug printing (3DP) innovator, Aprecia, recently announced its plans to collaborate with Cycle Pharmaceuticals, a developer of orphan drugs located in Cambridge, England. The agreement, disclosed on December 12^th outlines the joint development and commercialization of orphan drugs utilizing the company’s ZipDose 3DP process to integrate “quality of life” improvements to an array of approved orphan drugs currently being prescribed.

According to Aprecia, its 3DP technology is the only three dimensional drug printing technology approved by regulators. "Many rare disease patients do not have a treatment option at all,” explained Antonio Benedetti, CEO of Cycle, noting for patients with rare diseases, where an approved pharmaceutical treatment is available, people continue to have trouble with their drug formulations. 

“Aprecia's … technology can formulate fast-melt pharmaceutical products, incorporating significantly higher amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredient than any other fast-melt technology on the market,” said Benedetti, noting that the company’s technology can help patients overcome difficulties with pill burden (the number of prescribed pills a person takes during a certain period) and swallowing pills, known as dysphagia.

Aprecia, noting its technology can be combined with a broad range of APIs, said ZipDose can create easier-to-take and administer drugs. For its part, Cycle Pharmaceuticals focus is centered on improving orphan drug performance, working with partners like Aprecia to develop current drugs and rethinking drug products that had been previously been on the market.

Noting Cycle’s orphan drug specialization, Don Wetherhold, Aprecia’s CEO, commented, "We are excited to work with the Cycle team, and we see important synergies in the companies' shared mission to address unmet needs in patient care."