|
03-23-2007 (« Back to Newsroom)
Melbourne; 23 March, 2007: Starpharma (ASX:SPL, USOTC:SPHRY), through its U.S. subsidiary company Dendritic Nanotechnologies Inc (DNT), will be supplying Sigma-Aldrich with dendrimer kits of two product lines that will be available for purchase through Sigma-Aldrich.
DNT will initially supply the STARBURST® dendrimer kits to Sigma-Aldrich for sale to research markets. STARBURST® is the product name for DNT’s dendrimer technology in growing demand as a research tool for early stage drug discovery and development. The product has a range of applications, including improving the water solubility of drugs, enhancing the performance of metal catalysts, and providing precise nanoscale materials for researching material and biological phenomena.
“The dendrimers kits will allow researchers to try different nanometer sizes or reactivity in a cost effective solution as they evaluate the optimal dendrimer for their application,” said Ryan Hayes, Director of Business Development for DNT. “The new PEGylated dendrimers combine the water solubilizing power of dendrimers and poly(ethylene glycol) in one nanomaterial for dissolving insoluble molecules, such as drugs.”
DNT offers a range of STARBURST® dendrimers for sale to researchers, with various cores, sizes, and surfaces. Each kit consists of traditional PAMAM (Poly amidoamine) dendrimers in various nanometer sizes that have been popular with researchers worldwide. More details about the dendrimers and pricing of the kits will be available at Sigma-Aldrich’s Web site (www.sigma-aldrich.com).
Sigma-Aldrich will also publish a DNT application note that will be released in the next issue of its technical publication Material Matters. This application note highlights the versatility of dendrimers to enhance the water solubility of poorly-water soluble compounds such as pharmaceuticals as well as the importance of screening different types of dendrimers for that application.
About Starpharma:
Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX:SPL, USOTC:SPHRY) is a world leader in the development of dendrimer nanotechnology for pharmaceutical, life-science and other applications. SPL is principally composed of two operating companies, Starpharma Pty Ltd in Melbourne, Australia and
Dendritic Nanotechnologies, Inc. in Michigan, USA. Products based on SPL’s dendrimer technology are already on the market in the form of diagnostic elements and laboratory reagents.
The Company’s lead pharmaceutical development product is VivaGel™ (SPL7013 Gel), a vaginal microbicide designed to prevent the transmission of STIs, including HIV and genital herpes.
Starpharma’s proprietary dendrimer platform, which includes Priostar, also has potential in targeted diagnostics and in drug delivery for a wide variety of drugs. Improvements including enhanced solubility, targeting and reduced toxicity have been demonstrated for a number of existing drugs. More broadly the company, via DNT, is actively exploring dendrimer opportunities in materials science with applications as diverse as adhesives, lubricants and water remediation. SPL has a comprehensive IP portfolio that comprises more than 180 patents/applications issued and pending across 32 patent families - a unique level of IP concentration among nanotechnology companies. www.starpharma.com
About Dendritic Nanotechnologies Inc. (DNT)
Starpharma’s wholly owned U.S. based operating subsidiary – Dendritic Nanotechnologies, Inc. located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan - provides innovative dendrimer technologies and commercialization services with its new proprietary Priostar™ dendrimer technologies. DNT’s proprietary Priostar™ dendrimer platform serves as a targeted diagnostic and therapeutic delivery system for a wide variety of drugs to cancer cells and other diseases. Improved efficacy, enhanced solubility, and lower toxicity have been demonstrated for a number of existing drugs. Priostar™ dendrimers are the newest generation of dendrimers and were engineered to be commercially viable (reduced manufacturing complexity and costs). The company has patents pending on its Priostar™ family of dendrimers. Priofect, Priostar and STARBURST® are trademarks of Dendritic Nanotechnologies, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned herein are held by their respective owners.
Dendrimers: A type of precisely-defined, branched nanoparticle. Dendrimers have applications in the medical, electronics, chemicals and materials industries. Dendrimers are highly branched polymeric nanostructures that are very precise in shape and size. The widely researched STARBURST™ PAMAM dendrimers were invented by Dr. Donald Tomalia, DNT’s chief science officer.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs): Starpharma’s ADRs trade under the code SPHRY (CUSIP number 855563102). Each Starpharma ADR is equivalent to 10 ordinary shares of Starpharma as traded on the Australian Stock Exchange. The Bank of New York is the depositary bank.
For further information:
Media
Rebecca Wilson
Buchan Consulting
Tel: +61 2 9237 2800
Mob: +61 417 382 391
rwilson@bcg.com.au
Dr Jackie Fairley
Chief Executive Officer
Starpharma Holdings Ltd
+61 3 8532 2700
jackie.fairley@starpharma.com
Dr Robert Berry
President
DNT
Tel: 989.774.1799
berry@dnanotech.com
Ben Rogers
Company Secretary
Starpharma Holdings Ltd
+61 3 8532 2702
ben.rogers@starpharma.com
|
PDF(0.3MB)
