Advancement of lead Bioral candidate into the clinic eliminates the need for a separate laboratory.
BioDelivery Sciences International (BDSI) is consolidating its laboratory and other operations in Newark, NJ, into the company’s headquarters in Raleigh, NC. Raphael Mannino, Ph.D., evp and CSO, will step down as an officer of the company, and all four employees at Newark will be let go.
Aggregate savings are expected to be almost $1 million per year. BDSI will vacate its Newark facility by September 30.
The firm says that the Newark facility, which principally served as a lab for the formulation development of Bioral Amphotericin B, is no longer necessary now that the product is in clinical development in the U.S. Bioral Amphotericin B is BDSI’s lead candidate utilizing the company’s licensed Bioral drug delivery technology. It is in Phase I development to treat fungal infections such as esophageal candidiasis and parasitic diseases like Leishmaniasis.
BDSI also reports that it is in discussions with Dr. Mannino to sublicense to him or his affiliates specific and limited applications of the Bioral technology. Dr. Mannino is the inventor of Bioral technology. This agreement will not include Bioral Amphotericin B. BDSI also does not anticipate making any financial investment in sublicense agreements with Dr. Mannino.
The Bioral drug delivery technology is a process of drug encapsulation designed to facilitate oral dosing of drugs otherwise given only by intravenous administration.
