Starpharma Holdings Limited products

VIRALEZE™ is an antiviral nasal spray that contains astodrimer sodium (SPL7013), which has been shown in laboratory studies to inactivate a broad spectrum of respiratory viruses, including >99.9% of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.^

Starpharma’s technology is based on a type of polymer, a highly branched, roughly spherical polymer – called a dendrimer. Dendrimers are precise, synthetically manufactured, nanoscale molecules with unique properties that make them useful to the health and pharmaceutical industry to enhance existing products and as entirely new products. Starpharma`s dendrimer technology allows the creation of specifically defined nanoparticles that are applicable to a wide range of medical uses. Starpharma uses its proprietary dendrimers in two different ways: as therapeutics themselves (e.g. SPL7013/VivaGel®) or by using the dendrimer scaffold (DEP®) with covalently attached drug molecules (DEP® conjugate) to improve the performance of those existing drugs.

DEP® irinotecan is an improved version of irinotecan (Camptosar®), predominantly used for colorectal cancer. DEP® irinotecan is a novel, patented nanoparticle formulation of SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan, delivered using Starpharma’s proprietary DEP® technology. Irinotecan (Camptosar®) is a major cancer drug used to treat colorectal cancer with peak global sales of >US$1.1 billion despite having multiple US FDA “Black Box” warnings. Irinotecan is a pro-drug that requires conversion to its active metabolite, SN38. The need for this conversion may lead to variable clinical effect/efficacy and toxicity among patients. DEP® solubilises SN38 and allows direct dosing, avoiding the need for liver conversion. DEP® irinotecan has been shown to demonstrate improved efficacy in multiple animal models and has patent filings to 2039 (plus up to an additional ~5 years).

DEP® cabazitaxel is an enhanced version of leading prostate cancer drug cabazitaxel (Jevtana®). Cabazitaxel (Jevtana®) had global sales of €536M in 2020 despite having multiple US FDA “Black Box” warnings.

Starpharma’s DEP® technology provides enhanced therapeutic benefits to Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) including greater homogeneity, site specific attachment, and higher drug antibody ratio (DAR), than conventional ADC approaches. The use of ADCs is an innovative and cutting-edge area in cancer therapy that continues to grow, and Starpharma has a number of partner programs in the area. Starpharma’s novel DEP® HER-2 Targeted ADC binds to the same target (HER-2) as the leading monoclonal antibody and ADC cancer therapies, Herceptin® and Kadcyla®, which had sales in excess of US$5 billion in 2021.