Nemaura Pharma is a renowned organization that started with developing a single technology for delivering drugs through the skin. Today, it is a company with over 100 patents filed, many of which are already granted in multiple territories. The patents cover a diverse array of platforms that allows the administration of almost any drug through the skin.
Today, the company is at the forefront of Transdermal and skin drug delivery having developed in-house specialist knowledge and skills, and multiple proprietary novel delivery systems. The company is well positioned to provide solutions for complex drug delivery challenges, using an array of formulation and device technologies.
Innovative Services
Nemaura started with a single technology for chronotherapeutic drug delivery. Today, it has grown to become a leading expert in the field of drug delivery through the skin with multiple proprietary platform technologies covering injectables, topical, and transdermal formulations and over 21 drugs in the active development using these platforms covering a wide range of therapeutic areas.
Nemaura takes pride in being able to undertake complex drug delivery challenges and developing both formulation and device based solutions to tackle these challenges. The company has in-house facilities to be able to design develop, test and manufacture prototypes of devices and drug formulations. It offers comprehensive pharmaceutical formulation development services from concept to clinical batch production and supply, all based on its proprietary intellectual property.
About the Ingenious Leader
Dr. Faz Chowdhury, the dynamic Founder and CEO of Nemaura Pharma originally trained as a drug formulator, and also holds a Master’s degree in Microsystems and Nanotechnology from Cranfield University in the UK, and a PhD in nanomedicine and drug delivery from the University of Oxford. So, far he has amassed over 100 patents across over 20 technology platforms as sole inventor, as well as having written textbook chapters for Wiley and Elsevier on the subject of Bio-Nanosciences. Apart from Nemaura Pharma, he also founded Nemaura Medical Inc., which is a public listed company in the US (Nasdaq: NMRD), focused on developing and commercializing non-invasive wearable diagnostic systems.
Inspiring Journey
Prior to commencing studies at the University, Dr. Faz had always planned to start his own technology company that would give him something challenging to pursue. Initially, the hard part for him was to decide when to set up a company and in what field. During his undergraduate studies, he discovered his strength in drug formulation and delivery systems. Within his first eight years of employment he decided that it was the right time in terms of experience and exposure in the industry, to set up Nemaura Pharma.
Today, as with most of the technology companies and more so for companies working in the Pharmaceutical domain, getting a first product to market could take over a decade. There is a continuous cycle of bringing in new investment which is no mean feat for any company as the criteria for the investment is the same no matter how small or large the company. Nemaura has seamlessly navigated this situation with its compelling technology platforms and has raised substantial funds both through product licensing as well as from equity investors. Currently, the company is poised to make some radical changes in the field of drug delivery in particular and to the field of biologics and vaccines, which collectively addresses a market opportunity in the 10’s of billions of dollars.
Colossal Achievement
When asked about the milestones the company has achieved so far, Dr. Faz shared, “Early in the company’s history we embarked on a development program for a complex transdermal patch, and within 3 months we completed initial proof of concept and subsequently went on to successfully develop the product through to clinical trials and submission to the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration).” This was a highly challenging formulation with some serious intellectual property constraints to navigate. There were few companies including multinationals that were able to successfully develop this product at the time. It was a mammoth achievement for the company’s scientists and engineers, reflecting on their ingenuity and expertise.
Awards and Accolades
Nemaura received the ‘Frost and Sullivan Technology Leadership Award‘ in 2016 for Europe for its cutting-edge innovative skin delivery technologies and for its potential impact in the future for the administration of a wide range of medicines. Last year, in 2018, the company also received the ‘Medilink UK National Award’ for drug delivery which was further endorsement of its innovative technologies.
Words of Advice
“The healthcare space is and will always be a burgeoning field with vast potential for innovation. Innovation in this field does not necessarily have to be related to new medicines and therapies, it can also be methods and devices to make existing medicines easier to administer and perhaps with enhanced safety profiles through drug targeting or a change in the route of administration. Companies should find a specific problem to solve and put resources and effort into developing a practical and cost-effective solution to that problem so that there is a clear route to market, preferably built on clinical need, and if it can then be applied to other drugs is then that is a bonus, rather than starting with a platform technology at the outset” advises Dr. Faz to the budding entrepreneurs.
He further adds, “Finally, we can’t be phased by the long lead times to develop and bring a technology or product to market, which can in the case of a new drug delivery technology over 10 years; if the technology has real tangible benefits to the patient and the potential to reduce the burden on healthcare providers then it is worth pursuing.”
Future Prospect
One of the breakthrough technologies of Nemaura allows proteins and vaccines to be produced as a solid dosage form, in the form of a small particle or microneedle like structure. The company has spent almost six years perfecting this technology and securing intellectual property around it. The company has a very ambitious goal of adapting multiple vaccines in to this technology platform as it offers two fundamental advantages: the first is that it avoids the need for having to store the drug in a refrigerator prior to use, and so reducing the cost of the cold chain maintenance. The second advantage is that it is very easy to use and can be self-administered without any training.
The company has estimated that this project would require up to a decade to fully execute. Within the next 5 years, Nemaura expects the bulk of over 21 drugs in development to also be launched in to global markets, including drugs to treat migraine, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Nemaura is currently also planning to build its own state-of-the-art research, development and manufacturing facility in Loughborough, UK.
