Prefilled drug delivery system developer Vetter and medical device maker Microdermics said yesterday that the companies are working to develop a novel microneedle drug delivery system.

Microdermics has developed a low-cost, commercially scalable, customizable microneedle platform that delivers vaccines and biologics. The company said it expects its intradermal delivery system will enter Phase I clinical trials this year.

“We are very happy to enter into this agreement with Microdermics, and we are excited by the initial experience of cooperation and entrepreneurial spirit we have established with key individuals at this company,” Vetter’s senior VP of development services, Dr. Claus Feussner, said in prepared remarks. “We believe that microneedles are a particularly innovative technology and may prove to be a promising future alternative for selected areas of drug delivery.”

Microdermics plans to focus product development and clinical studies on new delivery methods for existing commercial products, according to the company.

“Microdermics is extremely excited to work with a world-class partner like Vetter, since our strategic interests align and their decades of experience and innovation in the fill and finish segment will enable us to accelerate our commercialization strategy. Vetter’s vast experience with a wide variety of drug substances provides us with an invaluable opportunity for a successful development path for our microneedle drug delivery technology,” Microdermics president & CEO Grant Campany said.

“While our individual companies differ in size, experience and structure, we are fully aligned in our vision to achieve the best possible patient convenience with our product offerings,” Microdermics co-founder & chief technology officer Boris Stoeber added.