Cardinal Health and Phoqus to Broaden Market for Proprietary Coating Process Through New Strategic Agreement
14 September 2004
Cardinal Health, the leading provider of products and services supporting the health care industry, today announced that it has entered into a strategic licensing agreement with Phoqus Pharmaceuticals Ltd. that will allow pharmaceutical companies to bring drugs to market faster using Cardinal Health's proven expertise in commercializing novel drug-delivery technologies – in this case, through Phoqus' proprietary electrostatic tablet-coating process and delivery systems.
Under the worldwide agreement, Cardinal Health will provide commercial contract manufacturing services for Phoqus' technology and delivery systems and co-market these in major worldwide markets.
Cardinal Health offers extensive business development resources and high quality manufacturing services in all key market regions of the world – providing pharmaceutical companies much broader access to the range of innovative systems developed by Phoqus that can be used for drug delivery, distinctive branding and potential use for anti-counterfeit protection.
The Phoqus technology can be applied to four major drug delivery platforms – fast dissolve, modified release, low-dose loading and unique imaging. Cardinal Health’s experience and expertise in these areas of drug delivery will help accelerate identification and commercialization of product opportunities. For patients, the technology may improve therapeutic efficacy and enhance tolerability, reduce side effects, and make drugs more convenient for patients to take. For pharmaceutical companies, the technology creates distinctive brand images and identities and extends product lifecycles.
"Our agreement with Phoqus is a great example of how Cardinal Health continues to find innovative solutions that meet the needs of pharmaceutical customers and, ultimately, patients worldwide" said John Lowry, president of the Oral Technologies business of Cardinal Health. "Cardinal Health has proven expertise in commercializing drug-delivery technologies, and we believe our customers will be very enthusiastic about the benefits the Phoqus technology will provide."
"This strategic relationship with Cardinal Health will accelerate the penetration and use of this unique and valuable technology in the pharmaceutical industry," said Andy Jones, chief executive officer of Phoqus. "We believe it will deliver major new business opportunities for Phoqus, for Cardinal Health and for pharmaceutical manufacturers."
