By Allan Maurer
EXCLUSIVE REPORT MONTGOMERY, AL—TriLogic Pharma, a company developing a liquid-to-gel drug delivery platform aimed at both veterinarian and human markets, has raised a $1.6 million friends and family round. “We’re ready to start generating revenue,” says CEO James Harwick.
Founded in 2007, the company is developing a range of commercial applications for its products, which are based on the work of its Chief Scientific Officer, Hemant H. Alur, Ph.D. Alur is a 15 year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry having served as a research scientist for major pharmaceutical companies such as Wyeth-Ayerst, GlaxoSmithKline, and Johnson and Johnson.
Harwick, a company founder and majority stockholder in the company, previously co-founded ProEthic Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Montgomery, Alabama in 2002. He was primarily responsible for the capital formation of ProEthic and raised more than $11 million through three different private placements with “friends and family.
Harwick tells TechJournal South the company is focusing first on veterinary markets for its drug delivery method, which is liquid at room temperature but gels when placed in the body and is naturally eliminated over time.
“We can change the release profile of a drug delivered to make it release over a day or weeks depending on what’s needed in a given situation,” says Harwick.
Getting the platform approved for veterinary uses is quicker and less expensive than for human uses, which is why the company is going that route, he notes. “It’s less expensive but the margins are still good,” he says.
The company’s first product, expected to launch in a couple of months, is for veterinary treatment of animal periodontal disease. The treatment, done with the animal asleep, includes deep cleaning and scaling that often creates a space between the tooth and the gum. Placing the TriLogic gel in the pocket prevents food and bacteria from getting into the pocket for seven to ten days.
Another veterinary use is for wound healing. Delivering antibiotics via the gel prevents bacterial colonies from forming, a common problem with wounded animals.
Several human applications and an additional veterinary application are also in development.
Harwick says the company will seek a partner to help commercialize the human applications.
The company expects to raise a second round in the $1 million to $1.5 million range this summer, Harwick says.
Online: www.trilogicpharma.com
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