Our portfolio company Delpor announced Wednesday that they were awarded with a Phase II SBIR grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) for the further advancement of the company’s exenatide implant product (DLP-414).
DLP-414 is based on Delpor’s NANOPOR™ technology which delivers therapeutic levels of exenatide for a period of at least 3 months. This is a 2-year grant with $741,023 awarded during the first year and $734,407 recommended for the second year, subject to the availability of funds and satisfactory progress of the project.
“We are extremely grateful to the NIDDK for continuing to support us in the development of this very important and innovative product. DLP-414 will provide a safer, more efficacious, cost effective, and less invasive maintenance therapy for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, and the further validation of the proposed technology will create the potential for a safer, and more convenient delivery of proteins and peptides.”
– Tassos Nicolaou, President and CEO of Delpor Inc.
Approximately 10% of U.S. adults have diabetes and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention project as many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050. Exenatide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion by the pancreatic beta-cell, suppresses inappropriately elevated glucagon secretion, and slows gastric emptying. The short plasma half-life of several peptides presents a delivery challenge. As a result, developing extended duration delivery options will result in significant advances related to patient medication adherence and convenience.
Tassos Nicolaou continued:
“The aging and overweight patient population and rising healthcare costs, have shifted the industry focus from acute care, to cost effective chronic disease management. DLP-414 has the potential to extend the exenatide formulation for as long as one year, while offering full reversibility in case the patient has a treatment related adverse event.”
Delpor’s NANOPOR™ technology achieves steady output through passive diffusion, and does not require any mechanical or moving parts. This elegant design combined with the high potency of exenatide, may allow the company to further miniaturize the implant.
Congratulations to Tassos and the rest of the Delpor team!
