PLx Pharma Receives $730,000 In Funding From U.S. Army In SBIR Phase II Award

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 08 Feb 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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PLx Pharma announced the award of a U.S. Army contract totaling $730,000 as part of the Army's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The award funds continued development of PL 4500, a molecular complex of indomethacin and phosphatidylcholine that is being developed as a GI safer anti-inflammatory and analgesic in both oral and IV formulations.

The Phase II award follows the successful completion of a Phase I program, in which PL 4500 was shown in in vivo and in vitro models to provide a longer period of analgesia with less GI toxicity than traditional indomethacin at standard doses while providing an equivalent degree of anti-inflammatory and analgesic efficacy. Such a GI-safer formulation of indomethacin could be used for the treatment of inflammation and pain due to trauma or surgery, while avoiding the sedative and addictive potential of opioid pain medications.

During the Phase II period, PLx will employ a multi-institutional collaboration with the University of Texas Health Science Center - Houston and the University of Texas Medical Branch - Galveston to capitalize on unique and established animal models to expand on PL 4500's potential to safely treat inflammation and pain due to surgery or trauma, and to carry out formulation optimization and manufacturing process-development activities to support commercial development.

About PLx Pharma Inc.

PLx Pharma is a privately owned pharmaceutical company developing GI safer NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin and indomethacin) utilizing its novel proprietary phospholipid based technology. This technology complexes a natural soy derived phosphatidylcholine (PC) with a traditional NSAID to mitigate the NSAID's GI toxicity. PLx's lead products are GI safer oral complexes with phosphatidylcholine of ibuprofen (PL 1100 and PL 1200), naproxen (PL 3100) and aspirin (PL 2200). Additional oral and parenteral GI-safer NSAID formulations are also being developed.

PLx Pharma Inc.