Quoin Pharmaceuticals Signs Research Agreement with University College Cork

Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a company specializing in rare and orphan diseases, has announced a new research partnership with the School of Pharmacy at University College Cork (UCC), Ireland. The collaboration will focus on creating innovative topical formulations of rapamycin (sirolimus) to treat various rare and orphan diseases that currently lack approved treatments. 

The research agreement aims to leverage UCC's advanced dissolvable microneedle technology along with other methodologies to enhance the local delivery and therapeutic efficacy of rapamycin. Quoin Pharmaceuticals will fund the research program at UCC, which will explore several topical formulations of rapamycin. Upon the program’s completion, Quoin will have the option to advance the clinical development of the newly developed rapamycin formulations. Notably, the agreement does not require Quoin to pay any upfront license or milestone fees, nor will there be royalties based on future product sales.

Dr. Michael Myers, CEO of Quoin Pharmaceuticals, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership. He highlighted UCC School of Pharmacy's strong expertise in dermal drug delivery technologies, particularly dissolvable microneedles. Dr. Myers believes this collaboration could result in the development of proprietary rapamycin formulations, which Quoin could then assess clinically as potential treatments for a variety of rare and orphan diseases.

Rapamycin is known for its immunosuppressive properties and its ability to inhibit the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Although it holds promise as a topical treatment for several rare diseases, the drug presents significant delivery challenges due to its large molecular size, poor solubility, and other physico-chemical properties. UCC's innovative microneedle technology offers a potential solution to these issues. The microneedles are designed to penetrate the skin effectively, dissolve upon entry, and release the active drug. This method enhances intradermal drug delivery while being painless, causing minimal skin trauma, reducing the risk of infection, and simplifying disposal.

Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is a clinical-stage specialty company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for rare and orphan diseases. The company is committed to addressing unmet medical needs for patients and their care communities. Quoin's pipeline includes four products in development targeting various rare conditions such as Netherton Syndrome, Peeling Skin Syndrome, Palmoplantar Keratoderma, Scleroderma, and Epidermolysis Bullosa, among others.

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