Contact Information: Joseph Himy Chief Financial Officer Vyteris, Inc. Tel: (201) 300-1160 Mogens Vang Rasmussen Chief Executive Officer & Chief Financial Officer Zealand Pharma A/S Tel: 45 4328 1200 Email:
Vyteris and Zealand Pharma Announce Agreement on Active Transdermal Patch for Peptide Drugs
Collaboration Aimed at Increasing Delivery Options for Peptides
| Source: Vyteris, Inc.
FAIR LAWN, NJ--(Marketwire - April 14, 2009) - Vyteris, Inc. (OTCBB : VYTR ), developer of the
first FDA-approved active transdermal drug delivery system and a leader in
active transdermal drug delivery technology, announced an agreement with
Zealand Pharma A/S, a Denmark-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to
the discovery and development of innovative peptide-based drugs, to apply
Vyteris' technology to the controlled transdermal delivery of Zealand
Pharma's peptide optimization technology.
"This strategic partnership with Zealand Pharma, a recognized leader in
peptide drug development, marks another milestone in the active roll-out of
our patented smart patch transdermal technology for the delivery of
high-value, therapeutic peptides," said Dr. Haro Hartounian, president and
chief executive officer of Vyteris, Inc.
"Needle-free, tightly controlled delivery of peptides via active,
transdermal patches is an innovative and patient-friendly route of
administration which can lead to increased safety and compliance. Our
ongoing female infertility project with Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has
now entered clinical phase II, and we hope to continue this success in
transdermal peptide delivery with our new partner Zealand Pharma,"
Hartounian added.
In the first phase of this collaboration, the companies will test the
feasibility of smart patch-based transdermal delivery of a peptide drug
candidate in animal models. Upon completion of this study, the companies
could decide to further develop and commercialize this peptide or other
peptide therapeutics in Zealand Pharma's product portfolio.
"In working with Vyteris and its transdermal delivery technology, we
believe this represents a strong collaborative effort to develop innovative
new methods of peptide drug delivery that may have significant advantages
in efficacy, patient compliance and tolerability," said David Solomon,
chief executive officer of Zealand Pharma. "With our peptide-based drugs
aimed at treating unmet medical needs, we are eager to conduct this
feasibility study and apply our knowledge of peptide optimization to
Vyteris' transdermal delivery technology."
About Vyteris, Inc.
Vyteris, Inc. is the maker of the first active, ready-to-use drug delivery
patch (LidoSite®) to receive marketing clearance from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA). Vyteris' proprietary active transdermal smart
patch technology delivers drugs comfortably through the skin using
low-level electrical energy (iontophoresis). This smart patch technology
allows precise dosing, giving physicians and patients control in the rate,
dosage and pattern of drug delivery that may result in considerable
therapeutic, economical, and lifestyle advantages over existing methods of
drug administration. Vyteris recently announced success in non-invasive
delivery of a peptide using its system, where the company demonstrated
achievement of therapeutic levels of a peptide without using any needles.
For more information, please visit us at www.vyteris.com.
About Zealand Pharma A/S
Zealand Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery
and development of innovative peptide-based drugs. Zealand Pharma is one of
the leaders within the peptide area, a growing market with significant drug
development activities including treatment of metabolic and cardiovascular
diseases. All of Zealand Pharma's products target diseases and symptoms of
significant unmet clinical need and commercial potential.
Since 1999, Zealand Pharma's scientists have built a pipeline that includes
five compounds in clinical development, three of which have been out
licensed to major pharmaceutical companies (Sanofi-Aventis, Wyeth and
Helsinn Healthcare). All Zealand Pharma's compounds emerge from Zealand
Pharma's own drug discovery.
In addition, Zealand Pharma has a rich and broad portfolio of pre-clinical
projects targeting a variety of disease areas, including osteoporosis and
obesity-related diabetes. Zealand Pharma is based in Copenhagen and has
approximately 65 employees. The Company's investors include BankInvest
Biomedical Venture, LD Pensions, Dansk Erhvervsinvestering and Sunstone
Capital as well as the leading international biotech investors CDC
Innovation and AGF Private Equity (both in Paris) and LSP (Amsterdam).
Vyteris Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expect," "estimate,"
"project," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "would,"
"should," "believes," and similar expressions are intended to identify such
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press
release include, without limitation, statements concerning the potential
impact of the new marketing agreement and other matters that involve known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual
results, performance or achievements to differ materially from results
expressed or implied by this press release. Such risk factors include,
among others, the competitive environment and competitive responses to the
new marketing arrangement. The Company has described other important risks
and uncertainties under the caption "Risk Factors" in its most recent
Annual Report on Form 10-K and in various filings made with the SEC.
Actual results may differ materially from those contained in the
forward-looking statements in this press release.