BASF SE and Bend Research Inc. have signed an agreement to jointly evaluate and develop novel excipients to enhance the solubility and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs.
The companies plan to combine their world-leading expertise in the development of new excipients and drug formulations to provide customers from the pharmaceutical industry with early access to the latest polymer innovations. The aim of this collaboration is to meet increasing challenges of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (BCS Class II and IV compounds); The initial focus will be on optimizing new vinylpyrrolidone based copolymers being developed for the solubilization of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients.
"We are excited about the opportunities this collaboration brings to us and our customers," said Rod Ray, CEO of Bend Research. "It offers early access to a different set of chemistries and allows us to develop and test customer formulations based on new polymers. BASF has an impressive track record developing and launching novel excipients. This deal complements our recently announced collaboration on cellulosics, because it gives us access to completely different chemistries."
"We are glad to bring our in-depth knowledge of polymeric excipients into this collaboration – to jointly extend the current toolbox already comprising innovations like Soluplus®,” said Ralf Fink, Vice President Global Marketing at BASF Pharma Ingredients & Services business unit. “Coupled with Bend Research’s outstanding strengths in formulation development, including spray-drying and hot-melt extrusion, we are in a unique position to address urgent solubility challenges. With this partnership, we help our customers with the development of drugs with poor bioavailability."
BASF has extensive ingredient formulation and material science expertise, as well as world-class excipient products. Bend Research is the leading formulation development and technology firm in the field of spray drying and has recently expanded capabilities in hot-melt extrusion.