Research and development company CraniUS has entered into a strategic partnership with US-based drug and device manufacturer Medical Product Laboratories (MPL).
CraniUS is engaged in the development of breakthrough diagnostics and treatments for neurosurgical patients with chronic brain disease.
MPL will support CraniUS in testing for the initial stability and safety studies for drug candidates, which will be administered via the latter’s drug delivery device.
The device is designed to facilitate long-term and direct medicine administration through CED (convection-enhanced delivery), which is a delivery technique to bypass the blood-brain barrier and directly deliver therapeutics in and around brain tumours.
Ongoing testing will directly support CraniUS’ planned pre-clinical trials this year and a first-in-human study next year.
CraniUS CEO Michael Maglin said: “Elliot Stone (MPL president and CEO), Scot Stone (MPL executive vice-president) and their experienced team are some of the most respected leaders in the space and therefore deliver a perfect match for us to balance our delivery device solution with their drug side expertise.
“Without question, this partnership opens numerous opportunities for us to enable multiple brain disease treatments including GBM (Glioblastoma multiforme).”
Elliot Stone and Scot Stone are set to join CraniUS’ board of directors.
Elliot Stone said: “MPL is truly excited to partner with this incredible mission. As Board Directors for CraniUS, we are thrilled to know our team is helping to build the world’s first, fully implantable, wireless medical device that enables long-term, direct brain medicine delivery.”
MPL offers vertically integrated contract services at its 250,000ft² facility located northeast of Philadelphia.
