DelSiTech in research collaboration with Orion

Finnish companies DelSiTech and Orion Corporation have signed an agreement that will enable Orion to apply DelSiTech's proprietary drug delivery technology in combination with its drug molecules for different therapeutic purposes.

Under the terms of the agreement, DelSiTech will receive payments for project work and milestones tied to project progress. The agreement also contains an option for licensing and further collaboration.

"This agreement opens possibilities for the DelSiTech drug delivery technology in new interesting fields," said Dr Harry Jalonen, chief executive of DelSiTech. "An important advantage is also that Orion's r&d centre in Turku is located close to the site of DelSiTech."

The DelSiTech drug delivery technology is a result of a cross-disciplinary project including researchers from the University of Turku and Ã"¦bo Akademi, the Swedish-speaking University in Turku. The Biomaterial Research Group includes dentists, physicians, chemists, engineers and pharmacists.

By combining the expertise and intellectual property of silica chemistry with nanotechnology it has been possible to encapsulate and controllably release extremely labile viruses and proteins to clinically useful applications. This application is expected to gain importance in the treatment of cancer.

Orion develops pharmaceuticals, active pharmaceutical ingredients and diagnostic tests for global markets.

The core therapy areas in Orion's product and research strategy are central nervous system, oncology and critical care, and respiratory medicines administered with the Easyhaler device.