Atai Life Sciences and University of Queensland technology transfer company UniQuest have announced the launch of a new company called InnarisBio, which will develop intranasal drug delivery technology for CNS drugs based on sol-gel technology developed by Queensland School of Pharmacy Senior Lecturer Harendra (Harry) Parekh. The sol-gel technology platform involves formulation of drugs that can be delivered to the nose as liquids that will form gels at body temperature.
Atai CEO and co-founder Florian Brand said, “InnarisBio aims to be a revolutionary technology company for intranasal drug delivery in the treatment of CNS disorders. Dr Parekh and his team at The University of Queensland have worked diligently to develop a platform technology that may mitigate many of the drawbacks typically associated with traditional drug delivery in the CNS space. This novel technology has the potential to be superior to other intranasal drug delivery methods available by improving absolute uptake and duration of uptake through muco-adhesion in the nose, reducing dose administered and dosing frequency. We plan to explore the potential use of this technology for a variety of psychedelic and non-psychedelic compounds across Atai’s platform.”
UniQuest CEO Dean Moss commented, “We are excited by the role that UQ’s licensed technology may potentially play in solving one of the world’s most complex health problems. This innovative UQ technology could play a role in helping to tackle the scourge of mental illness; it is an exciting development for the sol-gel technology developed here at UQ and is another terrific example of the power of UQ research to create meaningful change.”
Atai is also partnered with Neuronasal on development of intranasal N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for the treatment of mild traumatic brain injury. In September 2020, the FDA cleared an IND for NAC.
Read the Atai Life Sciences press release.
