36 |July 2019|
Today, as with most of the technology companies and more
so for companies working in the Pharmaceutical domain,
getting a first product to market could take over a decade.
There is a continuous cycle of bringing in new investment
which is no mean feat for any company as the criteria for
the investment is the same no matter how small or large the
company. Nemaura has seamlessly navigated this situation
with its compelling technology platforms and has raised
substantial funds both through product licensing as well as
from equity investors. Currently, the company is poised to
make some radical changes in the field of drug delivery in
particular and to the field of biologics and vaccines, which
collectively addresses a market opportunity in the 10's of
billions of dollars.
Colossal Achievement
When asked about the milestones the company has
achieved so far, Dr. Faz shared, “Early in the company’s
history we embarked on a development program for a
complex transdermal patch, and within 3 months we
completed initial proof of concept and subsequently went on
to successfully develop the product through to clinical trials
and submission to the FDA (United States Food and Drug
Administration).” This was a highly challenging
formulation with some serious intellectual property
constraints to navigate. There were few companies
including multinationals that were able to successfully
develop this product at the time. It was a mammoth
achievement for the company’s scientists and engineers,
reflecting on their ingenuity and expertise.
Awards and Accolades
Nemaura received the ‘Frost and Sullivan Technology
Leadership Award ’ in 2016 for Europe for its cutting-edge
innovative skin delivery technologies and for its potential
impact in the future for the administration of a wide range
of medicines. Last year, in 2018, the company also received
the ‘Medilink UK National Award ’ for drug delivery which
was further endorsement of its innovative technologies.
Words of Advice
“The healthcare space is and will always be a burgeoning
field with vast potential for innovation. Innovation in this
field does not necessarily have to be related to new
medicines and therapies, it can also be methods and devices
to make existing medicines easier to administer and
perhaps with enhanced safety profiles through drug
targeting or a change in the route of administration.
Companies should find a specific problem to solve and put
resources and effort into developing a practical and cost-
effective solution to that problem so that there is a clear
route to market, preferably built on clinical need, and if it
can then be applied to other drugs is then that is a bonus,
rather than starting with a platform technology at the
outset ” advises Dr. Faz to the budding entrepreneurs.He further adds, “Finally, we can’t be phased by the long
lead times to develop and bring a technology or product to
market, which can in the case of a new drug delivery
technology over 10 years; if the technology has real
tangible benefits to the patient and the potential to reduce
the burden on healthcare providers then it is worth
pursuing.”Future ProspectOne of the breakthrough technologies of Nemaura allows
proteins and vaccines to be produced as a solid dosage
form, in the form of a small particle or microneedle like
structure. The company has spent almost six years
perfecting this technology and securing intellectual property
around it. The company has a very ambitious goal of
adapting multiple vaccines in to this technology platform as
it offers two fundamental advantages: the first is that it
avoids the need for having to store the drug in a refrigerator
prior to use, and so reducing the cost of the cold chain
maintenance. The second advantage is that it is very easy to
use and can be self-administered without any training.
The company has estimated that this project would require
up to a decade to fully execute. Within the next 5 years,
Nemaura expects the bulk of over 21 drugs in development
to also be launched in to global markets, including drugs to
treat migraine, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Nemaura is
currently also planning to build its own state-of-the-art
research, development and manufacturing facility in
Loughborough, UK.