Shire taps Rani Therapeutics’ oral delivery tech for hemophilia therapy

Shire (NSDQ:SHPG) said this week that it is collaborating with Rani Therapeutics to combine the company’s Rani Pill technology for the delivery of factor VIII therapy in patients with hemophilia A.

According to the terms of the deal, Shire has the exclusive option to negotiate a license to develop and commercialize the technology as a delivery mechanism for FVIII therapy after the companies conduct feasibility studies. Shire also made an equity investment into Rani Therapeutics as part of the collaboration.

Rani Therpeutics, an InCube Lab spin-out started in 2012, has developed a capsule that delivers an intestinal injection of medicine without exposing the drugs to digestive enzymes.

The company is positioning its technology as an alternative to needle-based injections. Rani’s robotic pill travels through the stomach and eventually reaches the intestine, where it injects the drug directly into the intestinal wall.

“Shire is proud to partner with Rani Therapeutics to pioneer the investigation of oral delivery of factor therapy for the hemophilia community,” Fritz Scheiflinger, Shire’s head of global research, said in prepared remarks. “With Shire’s in-depth scientific expertise and leadership position in hemophilia and Rani Therapeutics’ deep experience in engineering and material science, we are excited by the potential of this partnership to reduce the chronic burden of hemophilia on patients’ everyday lives by researching an oral option to deliver FVIII to patients. We strive to provide hemophilia patients with innovative therapies that are effective and do not expose patients to additional risks.”

“We are very pleased to collaborate with Shire on the development of oral FVIII delivery,” Rani’s chairman & CEO Mir Imran added. “With this technology, though early in development in hemophilia, we hope to improve compliance, quality of life and outcomes for patients with hemophilia by offering a painless and more convenient oral delivery.”

Rani has also inked deals with Novartis (NYSE:NVS) and AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) to test its delivery platform with certain pharmaceuticals.

“Rani has the potential to disrupt the industry with its innovative approach to delivering biologics orally,” David Pyott, former Allergan CEO and a member of Rani’s board of directors, said. “The hemophilia market is an excellent application of Rani’s technology and we are delighted that Rani is partnering with Shire, a market leader in the space.”

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