Novozymes Biopharma¹s Hyasis® increases drug release of tramadol hydrochloride from 1.9 to 7.5 hours

New findings on controlled and sustained drug release to be presented at Controlled Release Society annual meeting to address ³Emerging Challenges for Global Delivery²

NOTTINGHAM, UK ­ 18th July 2013 ­ Novozymes Biopharma, part of Novozymes A/S, a world leader in bioinnovation, today announced the release of new findings concerning the effect of Bacillus-derived Hyaluronic Acid (HA) on the drug release of tramadol hydrochloride. The new research is to be presented as a scientific poster at the 2013 Controlled Release Society (CRS) annual meeting, July 21-24, Hawaii, USA.

The investigation concluded that by adding Hyasis®, the Bacillus-derived Hyaluronic Acid (HA) used in the study formulated by Novozymes Biopharma, into a tablet containing tramadol hydrochloride for oral administration, the release of tramadol hydrochloride can be prolonged from 1.9 to 7.5 hours. A good correlation has been identified between the added amounts of HA and the drug release time, and this correlation gives excellent possibilities for developing specific drug release profiles for different oral drug applications.

³These results represent another step forward in meeting the emerging challenges in drug development, and we are delighted to be presenting our latest findings at the CRS annual meeting,² says Hans Ole Klingenberg, Global Marketing Director, Novozymes Biopharma. ³We are committed to developing compliant formulation solutions that ensure improved stability, solubility and half-life of therapeutics and we are delighted to demonstrate how these innovative products can streamline the drug development process.²

Experimentally, the drug release was assessed by dissolution analysis using a closed loop system configuration (SOTAX CE7smart) and USP 4 dissolution method with 22.4mm dissolution cells. The tramadol was detected on-line with UV absorbance at 270nm.

Novozymes Biopharma¹s Hyasis® is an ultra-pure material with exceptionally low amounts of nucleic acids, proteins, bacterial endotoxins and microbial contamination. With a reproducible molecular weight and narrow size distribution, it is well-tolerated, safe and biocompatible, allowing the sustained and controlled release of drugs in a HA concentration dependent manner.

For further information on Novozymes¹ range of innovative drug delivery products or to request a copy of the scientific poster, please visit booth 416 at the 2013 CRS meeting or www.biopharma.novozymes.com

About Novozymes

Novozymes is the world leader in bioinnovation. Together with customers across a broad array of industries, we create tomorrow¹s industrial biosolutions, improving our customers' business and the use of our planet's resources.

With over 700 products used in 130 countries, Novozymes¹ bioinnovations improve industrial performance and safeguard the world¹s resources by offering superior and sustainable solutions for tomorrow¹s ever-changing marketplace. Read more at www.novozymes.com.

Contact: Novozymes Biopharma:
Sally Vernon, Global Communications Manager
Email: [email protected]
Tel. +44 115 955 3355