Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on innovative solutions for the pharma sector. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we decided to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising drug delivery startups.
Heat Map: 5 Top Drug Delivery Startups
Using our StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 1.379.000+ startups & scaleups globally, we looked at innovation in the field of pharma. For this research, we identified 266 relevant solutions and picked 5 to showcase below. These companies were chosen based on a data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and relevance of technology, among others. Depending on your specific criteria, the top picks might look entirely different.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 startups & emerging companies developing solutions for drug delivery. Moreover, the Heat Map reveals regions that observe a high startup activity and illustrates the geographic distribution of all 266 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
Rapid Dose Therapeutics – Oral Drug Delivery
As more complex drugs and therapeutics enter the market, the need for novel drug delivery systems and methods also increases. Understanding chemical, physiological and biochemical processes that take place in between drug administration and absorption have an impact on the bioavailability of the drug. Startups develop innovative drug delivery solutions and mechanisms to overcome hurdles such as children and elderly who have trouble swallowing.
Canadian startup Rapid Dose Therapeutics produces QuickStrip, a proprietary oral fast-dissolving drug delivery system. The startup uses a film-forming agent to effectively deliver micronized therapeutics to patients by placing the QuickStrip on the tongue. This solution enables the ready absorption of all the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) that are otherwise not easily soluble. The startup’s main aim is to deliver large therapeutic molecules such as proteins or complex molecules for all age-groups.
Toralgen – Nanopills
The chemical composition of drugs plays an important role in the absorption rates of APIs. For many diseases, cancer, for example, the targeted cancer cells need to be attacked from within the cell to effectively eliminate them. Traditional chemotherapy radiates the region of the tumor causing severe side effects whereas targeted drug delivery eliminates the cancer cells without destroying healthy cells. Advancements in nanotechnology enable startups to leverage the benefits of nanoparticles and develop innovative drug delivery systems.
The US-based startup Toralgen develops a proprietary polybile nanopill delivery technology to tackle diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. The startup modifies nanoparticles to deliver active drug compounds to targeted cells in the body. Toralgen aims to improve diabetes treatment with a cost-effective oral solution. This technology closely mimics the natural metabolic process in the body. Patients take the drug orally and the nanoparticles in the pill ensure that digestive enzymes present in the stomach and the intestines do not reduce the effectiveness of the drug payload.
CyCa OncoSolutions – Molecular Drug Delivery
The efficacy of drugs significantly impacts the mode of drug delivery. The development of novel drug delivery systems (DDS) makes it possible to control the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicity, immunogenicity, and efficacy of drugs. Advancements in nanomedicine enable targeted drug delivery, early detection, and increasingly personalized approaches to cancer treatment. In this context, startups develop molecular drug delivery systems to overcome limitations associated with cancer therapy, such as reduced chemoresistance, poor bioavailability, drug solubility, and systemic toxicity.
Irish startup CyCa OncoSolutions utilizes CyCa-dds, a patent-pending molecular nanomachine, as a drug delivery system. CyCa-dds comprises an engineered biomolecule that conjugates with organic and inorganic drugs, as well as genes, nucleotides, and proteins. The startup employs a non-endocytic mechanism to deliver molecular payloads into live cells by mechanically penetrating the cell membrane without damaging the cells. Moreover, the nanomachine is non-toxic, negatively charged, and has low immunogenicity. Additionally, the startup aims to support molecular drug discovery with the help of CyCa-dds.
Zylo – Sustained Drug Release
Drug delivery innovations help control the dosage of medication while administering local anesthetics to relieve pain and burns, among others. This significantly benefits patients as they do not need to keep reapplying their ointments, thereby improving medication adherence. Startups develop easy-to-use sustained drug release solutions to help patients manage topical complications.
The US-based startup Zylo uses Z-pods, patented xerogel-derived silica particles, to administer hard-to-deliver topical therapeutics in a sustained and controlled manner. Z-pods effectively lodge in the top layer of the skin, forming a patch-like layer and releasing the drug payload in a 24-hour time frame. Then, the Z-pods automatically slough off with the dead skin cells that comprise the top layer of skin.
Technology Scientific – Phytopharmaceutical Drug Delivery
Phytosomes and liposomes involve chemical interaction of active compounds and phospholipids but exhibit a difference in molecular arrangement, chemical bonding, and bioavailability. Phytosomes assure enhanced bioavailability and permeability through cellular membranes, whereas liposomes possess lesser bioavailability. Startups develop various drug delivery systems that show high effectiveness, are easily absorbable and more soluble.
Italian startup Technology Scientific develops delivery systems and complexes for nutraceuticals. The startup helps overcome technological challenges such as dissolution, solubility, absorption, and natural substances protection. This is achieved with micronization through spray drying botanicals and phyto-complexes. The resulting reduction in the diameter of the molecules improves the efficacy of the drugs and increases bioavailability.
What About The Other 261 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence and enable you to achieve your goals faster. The 5 drug delivery startups showcased above are promising examples out of 266 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, get in touch.
