Mercer generates two spinouts

Mercer University on Monday announced it had spun out two new companies, SynPloid and DD Therapeutics, that have each developed drug delivery systems.

SynPloid is using bioengineering to create a synthetic chromosome system that could be used to deliver genetic material that attacks tumour cells without harming surrounding tissue. The spinout is based on research by Edward Perkins, associate professor, and Amy Greene, assistant professor, at the Mercer School of Medicine.

The company is currently working on applying that technology to various kinds of breast cancer and orphan genetic diseases. SynPloid’s research is funded by two grants from the National Institutes of Health and a Department of Defense Advance Research Program Award.

DD Therapeutics is based on research conducted by Kevin Murnane, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and Ajay Banga, chair of pharmaceutical sciences and co-director of the Center for Drug Delivery Research at Mercer’s College of Pharmacy.

The spinout is working on transdermal and nanotechnology-based drug delivery technology that is able to deliver more stable and sustained dosing of treatments for conditions of the central nervous systems, such as ADHD, narcolepsy and substance dependence.

UPenn has also inked a licensing agreement with Kiromic, a biotech company that will exploit a biodegradable nanoparticle oral drug delivery system developed by Martin D’Souza, professor of of pharmaceutical sciences and co-director of the Center for Drug Delivery Research at the College of Pharmacy.