Merrion Pharmaceuticals has signed a new collaboration agreement with Ferring Pharmaceuticals on research into oral drug delivery.
A statement from Merrion said the study would look at the ability of Merrion's Gipet technology to boost an unnamed Ferring compound's oral bioavailability - the rate at which a drug is absorbed.
Gipet allows injectable drugs to be converted into oral forms, such as tablet or capsule, and can improve the absorption of current oral drugs. Merrion says clinical studies have shown oral absorption can be improved by up to 46 times on a wide range of drugs.
"We are very pleased to have progressed to working on a second of Ferring's compounds while also building a relationship with this important company. We believe there can be substantial benefit to patients in having an improved oral formulation of this compound available – and our Gipet technology has shown the ability to improve the oral bioavailability," Merrion's chief executive John Lynch said.