LEO Science & Tech Hub Announces A Collaboration With Elektrofi For Formulation Technology To Improve Dermatological Drug Delivery

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LEO Science & Tech Hub, an R&D unit of LEO Pharma dedicated to identifying, developing, and funding innovative solutions that improve the lives of people with skin diseases, today announced a collaboration agreement with Elektrofi, a Cambridge-based biotechnology company focused on drug delivery innovations, to explore advanced formulation technology for dermatological drug delivery.

“We are excited to announce this collaboration with Elektrofi to explore its innovative Elektroject™ process technology to increase our options in subcutaneous delivery of antibodies,” said Michael Sierra, Ph.D., VP of LEO Science & Tech Hub. “Developing therapeutic solutions that are not only safe and effective but also convenient for patients with skin diseases is critical to improving patient experience and outcomes, which is a goal the Hub strives to achieve.”

Elektrofi leverages a novel therapeutic microparticle suspension system (Elektroject™) to engineer high-concentration, low-viscosity antibody formulations. While many antibody formulations become virtually unusable at high concentrations due to high viscosity, Elektroject™ suspensions result in antibody concentrations that are more than 15x the typically administered concentration without exceeding viscosity limits. This enables healthcare professionals to subcutaneously administer high doses of antibody-based therapies in a relatively small volume within seconds.

“We want to create a paradigm shift in drug delivery to dramatically improve the lives of patients,” said Jason Norris, Co-Founder of Elektrofi. “LEO Science & Tech Hub is a leader in accelerating precision medicine in dermatology, and we are delighted to enter this collaboration which will combine Elektrofi’s work in transforming drug delivery with the Hub’s expertise in dermatology.”

The LEO Science & Tech Hub is recognized for its unique collaborative approach of seeking cutting-edge technology for dermatological applications. Within the first year of its launch, The Hub has successfully formed multiple collaborations to explore minimally invasive biomarker technologies, drug delivery technology, and advanced imaging technology with leading research institutes and biotechnology companies, including The Karp Lab, Novopyxis, and The Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

About LEO Science & Tech Hub
The LEO Science & Tech Hub is a R&D innovation unit of LEO Pharma dedicated to identifying, developing, and funding innovative solutions that improve the lives of people with skin diseases. It was founded in 2016 as a catalyst to transform early-stage innovations into solutions for improving the lives of people with skin diseases. We collaborate, explore cutting-edge ideas and make investments. We are an agile group of scientific experts with an entrepreneurial mindset and a vision of how to give patients control over disease by predicting, diagnosing, and monitoring a condition. The LEO Science & Tech Hub is based in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, please visit www.leo-scitech.com, or connect with us at engage@leo-scitech.com or on Twitter @LEOscitech.

About LEO Pharma
LEO Pharma helps people achieve healthy skin. By offering care solutions to patients in more than 100 countries globally, LEO Pharma supports people in managing their skin conditions. Founded in 1908 and owned by the LEO Foundation, the healthcare company has devoted decades of research and development to delivering products and solutions to people with skin conditions. LEO Pharma is headquartered in Denmark and employs around 5,000 people worldwide. Please visit http://www.leo-pharma.com.

About Elektrofi
Elektrofi is a MIT founded biotechnology company in Cambridge, MA working on transforming drug delivery. Founded in 2016, Elektrofi has developed its Elektroject™ platform which is capable of concentrating biologics by greater than 15x, and is using this technology to create a paradigm shift from long duration infusions to quick, cost-effective injections. For more information, please visit www.elektrofi.com, follow us @elektrofi or send a message to info@elektrofi.com.