TSRL, Inc. Awarded $3M NIH Grant to Continue Development of Microarray Patch (MAP) for Treatment of Influenza

Ann Arbor, Michigan, August 8th, 2022 – TSRL, Inc., announces the continued development of microarray patch (MAP) of Zanamivir (Relenza®), an inhalation drug product licensed for the treatment and prevention of influenza A and B. TSRL has exclusively licensed the MAP technology for its flu patch from Queen’s University Belfast,  Northern Ireland, UK. This project builds on a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award of $600,000 and Phase II SBIR award of $3 million to further optimize the zanamivir reservoir formulation, scale-up and manufacture toxicology  supplies, and conduct GLP toxicology studies. TSRL will receive approximately $1 million per year over three years from a Phase IIB SBIR grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to drive the program towards clinical evaluation.

Influenza viruses infect birds and mammals and spread worldwide during seasonal epidemics that can result in up to 500,000 deaths globally every year. Relenza® is a dry-powder inhalation product that requires twice a day administration. However, this product has not reached its full market potential, as the device is difficult to use, especially for the elderly and young children. Relenza is contraindicated for patients with pulmonary impairments, who are highly susceptible to the flu.

A transdermal delivery system offers a number of improvements over the inhalation product. MAPs allow for painless administration through the skin and can deliver zanamivir over multiple days with a single administration. Furthermore, the application allows large numbers of patients to be reached through simplified dosing, and provides those with respiratory impairments a novel treatment option.

TSRL’s CEO, Dr. Elke Lipka, noted the timeliness of this therapeutic option: “This MAP delivery technology shows great potential to expand the use of zanamivir and provide a novel treatment option for the high-risk flu patient population. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there may be a surge in the number of people in need of protection against additional respiratory infections.”

About TSRL, Inc.:

TSRL, Inc. is a preclinical biotech accelerator. We collaborate with partners in academia and industry to develop early-stage therapeutics and drug delivery technologies. In these collaborations, we provide infrastructure, drug development expertise, and access to non-dilutive funding. Our portfolio holds promising lead-stage therapeutics. We are actively looking for new technologies and strategic partnerships. More information about TSRL, Inc. and portfolio technologies are available at http://www.tsrlinc.com or can be requested by contacting Elke Lipka, CEO, elipka@tsrlinc.com