Crospon, a medical device developer based in Galway, Ireland, recently announced its drug delivery technology platform has been spun-out into a distinct company, Janisys, as a result of the continued development of the product prototype. The Janisys drug delivery platform, which leverages ink-jet printing technology licensed from HP, enables painless, controlled release of one or more drugs in a single patch to the skin. This announcement details that the new spin-out is at a late-stage in developing functional prototypes of its active microneedle-based transdermal system, and intends to begin preclinical trials in 2010.

Janisys has secured co-development funding from a leading pharmaceutical company to progress the initial prototype development of Janisys, and the company will be seeking to engage in a round of fundraising during the first half of 2010 for completion of the commercial version of the system. The spin-out of Janisys follows the US FDA approval of Crospon’s flagship gastroenterology product, EndoFLIP.

“This announcement is an exciting step in the continued development of the Janisys drug delivery system,” said John O’Dea, CEO of Crospon. “This industry-first skin patch will offer a superior drug delivery platform for doctors and patients. We look forward to engaging in preclinical trials later this year.”

Transdermal patches for nicotine delivery have become a mainstay for smoking cessation and pain management programs; however, they have not been a widely effective delivery mechanism for many drugs because the skin acts as a natural barrier. The Janisys skin patch delivers medication intradermally, thereby expanding the range of drugs and biopharmaceuticals for which patches may be used. The patch uses microneedles that barely penetrate the skin, which radically reduces discomfort compared to traditional hypodermic needles. The device will enable precise control of dosage timing, access to dosage history, patient activation mechanisms, and will include inherent safety protocols for preventing adverse drug interactions.

Established in 2006, Crospon is a medical device company focused on the monitoring and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD). Company Co-Founder and CEO, John O’Dea, previously co-founded Caradyne, a respiratory products company which was acquired by Respironics Inc. in 2004. Earlier, Crospon announced the completion of a round of funding and that the company’s flagship gastroenterology product, EndoFLIP has received clearance from the US FDA. Obtaining FDA clearance for the EndoFLIP device is another significant milestone in the product’s development. This clearance will permit the company to sell EndoFLIP in the US market and assist Crospon in continuing to build the clinical evidence base to support wider indications for use of EndoFLIP, particularly in the bariatric surgery area. During 2009, Crospon announced the establishment of a US operation in Carlsbad, California.

In 2008, Crospon announced that it had completed an additional funding round, which was primarily used for the completion of development, manufacturing start-up, and preparation to market of the EndoFLIP system.