MENLO PARK, Calif.,
Oct. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/
-- BioPharmX Corporation (NYSE MKT: BPMX) researchers were
part of a national scientific team that developed an innovative way
to use nonlinear optical imaging to confirm the efficiency and
quantity of the delivery of new drugs.
A presentation at the 2017 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference
will show how researchers from BioPharmX and the Wellman Center for
Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School used a suite of imaging
techniques in what is called "Pharmacokinetic Tomography" to
confirm highly localized delivery of BPX-01, BioPharmX's unique
topical, hydrophilic gel formulation of minocycline for the
treatment of acne vulgaris, to the area of the skin where acne
develops.
This is the first time this imaging approach was used to confirm
substantial minocycline uptake in the epidermis and hair follicle,
as well as in the sebaceous gland 24 hours after a single dose
application. A poster presentation, entitled "Visualization
of Cutaneous Distribution of Minocycline of a Topical Gel in Human
Facial Skin with Two-Photon Excited Fluorecence Lifetime Imaging
Microscopy (FLIM) and Phasor Analysis," will also be on display at
the Fall Clinical conference in Las
Vegas Oct. 12-15.
The technique is a break with traditional drug development
imaging processes that are costly and inefficient. The
nonlinear optical imaging technique developed by this team enables
the use of the natural fluorescence of the drug when "excited" with
ultrashort (femtosecond) laser pulses. Drug developers
traditionally rely on older technologies, such as nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy (MALDI), which
tend to be slow and costly. This technique has allowed
BioPharmX to capitalize its efforts in translational research,
enabling it to take BPX-01 into clinic much more rapidly.
"We are excited to be applying these imaging tools in the study
of pharmacokinetics," said Conor L.
Evans, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School's Wellman Center for
Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. "They enable the
visualization of drug delivery and distribution, and potentially
permit the quantification of local drug concentration with
subcellular resolution. Knowing the delivery kinetics and local
concentrations of drugs may allow better understanding of toxicity
and efficacy of drugs, making these imaging methods powerful tools
for translational research."
In addition, BioPharmX will be presenting a second poster
entitled, "Rapid Improvement with BPX-01 Minocycline Topical Gel in
the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Inflammatory Acne Vulgaris: a
Randomized, Double-Blind, Vehicle-Controlled Study," showing that
BPX-01 2% minocycline gel resulted in "rapid improvements and
better outcomes than vehicle control in treatments of
moderate-to-severe non-nodular inflammatory acne."
"In combination, these studies suggest that BPX-01 effectively
delivers low dosages of minocycline precisely to areas of the skin
where acne forms and that the topical gel may prove to be an
efficient option for reducing the number of inflammatory lesions,"
said Dr. Neal Bhatia, a San Diego board-certified dermatologist and
Director of Clinical Dermatology at Therapeutics Clinical Research,
and member of the BioPharmX Therapeutic Dermatology Advisory
Board.
The Fall Clinical conference is one of the dermatological
community's leading educational events, attracting more than 800
physicians and scientists from across the nation.
Several BioPharmX Advisory Board members will serve as faculty
at the meeting along with Dr. Bhatia: Dr. James Q. Del Rosso, who is also co-director of
the conference and Dr. Julie C.
Harper, an Alabama
dermatologist and a founding director of the American Acne and
Rosacea Society.
About BPX-01
BPX-011 is a hydrophilic
(non-oil-based) topical gel with fully solubilized minocycline that
has been shown to penetrate the skin to deliver the antibiotic to
its target. Following positive results from its previously
announced phase 2b study of BPX-01 in acne, BioPharmX continues
with phase 3 clinical study plans for BPX-01 for the treatment of
acne.
About BioPharmX® Corporation
BioPharmX
Corporation (NYSE MKT: BPMX) is a Silicon Valley-based specialty
pharmaceutical company, which seeks to provide products through
proprietary platform technologies for prescription,
over-the-counter (OTC), and supplement applications in the health
and wellness markets, including dermatology and women's health. To
learn more about BioPharmX, visit www.BioPharmX.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this
press release contains forward-looking statements and information
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, which are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those
sections. This press release contains forward-looking statements
about the company's expectations, plans, intentions, and
strategies, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the
safety and medical effects of BPX-01, the effect BPX-01 may have on
the treatment of acne, the commencement and results of future
trials of BPX-01 and the size of such trials, continued and
consistent results in future tests of BPX-01 and absence of side
effects of future use of BPX-01. These forward-looking statements
may be identified by words such as "plan," "expect," "anticipate,"
"believe" or similar expressions that are intended to identify such
forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties, as well as assumptions, which, if they do not fully
materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. The risks and uncertainties include those described in
the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including our annual report on Form 10-K for the period
ended Jan. 31, 2017. Given these risks and uncertainties, you
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking
statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news
release are made only as of the date hereof, and the company
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as may be required under
applicable securities law.
BioPharmX is a registered trademark of BioPharmX, Inc.
1 Caution: BPX-01 is a new drug limited by U.S. law
to investigational use.
View original content with
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/biopharmx-collaborates-with-wellman-center-for-photomedicine-to-develop-pioneering-cost-effective-technique-to-visualize-drug-delivery-300534105.html
SOURCE BioPharmX Corporation