26 April 2022 - - US-based Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: VRPX), a company specializing in developing non-addictive product candidates for pain management, CNS disorders and anti-viral indications, has reported preclinical pharmacokinetics results for VRP324 (MET-CBD), a nose-to-brain delivery platform for CBD for the management of seizures in children and adults.

In this preclinical PK study, VRP324 was able to deliver cannabidiol to the brain after nasal administration in a rodent model. Nasal delivery of VRP324 provided high concentrations of CBD in the brain and the preclinical studies confirm that there were higher levels of CBD in the brain versus the plasma.

Virpax believes that VRP324 may achieve higher efficiency via the nasal route compared to the oral CBD product on the market since peripheral exposure via plasma may be reduced by the nose-to-brain delivery.

Evidence suggests that compared to the commercialized oral-dosed CBD, the nose-to-brain CBD formulation may have negligible liver first-pass metabolism, thereby avoiding drug to drug interactions and potentially producing fewer side effects.

By avoiding the first pass effect, intranasal VRP324 may also eliminate enzymatic degradation.

VRP324 uses a preassembled device and cartridge to propel the MET-CBD powder formulation into the nose via the olfactory nerve/bulb.

This product candidate has been formulated to potentially treat seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome in patients one year of age and older.

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome are rare central nervous system diseases considered serious epileptic encephalopathies that cause different types of epileptic seizures, and cognitive and behavioral changes.

These syndromes have historically been resistant to treatment.

VRP324 is a drug product candidate based on nanotechnology enabling the delivery of CBD into the brain via intranasal delivery for the management of seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex in patients one year of age and older, as well as patients one year of age and older who experience seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome. VRP324 is manufactured using high pressure homogenization and spray drying.

In animal studies, the MET nanoparticles are well-tolerated via the nasal route at the dose administered.

Nanomerics is a specialty pharmaceutical company based in London, United Kingdom. Nanomerics was spun out of University College London and was founded to commercialize its biocompatible polymer technologies for drug delivery and other applications.

Virpax is developing branded product candidates for non-addictive pain management and neurological disorders using its proprietary technologies to optimize and target drug delivery.