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Takeda, Portal Band to Develop Needle-Free Drug Delivery Device

A Kendall Square startup developing handheld devices, Portal Instruments, has now inked a $100 million collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceuticals in order to develop its needle-free drug delivery device with the latter’s biologic medicines.

The first development program is slated to combine Takeda’s monoclonal antibody for adults with moderately- to severely active ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease with Portal’s technology. The investigational therapy is currently administered through intravenous infusion, according to Takeda.

Portal’s device is reusable; a patient loads it with a cartridge that is prefilled with a drug and self-administers the dose, said Portal CEO Patrick Anquetil. It works by pressurizing the liquid drug into a jet that, when it contacts the skin, pierces it and delivers the drug to the target area. It was developed in the lab of Ian Hunter at MIT.

There is a need for options to keep improving the experience for patients with lifelong, chronic conditions that are managed with the intravenous infusions of biologic medicines,

” said Stefan Koenig, global program and brand lead at Takeda, in the statement. “This partnership with Portal demonstrates Takeda’s leadership in supporting patients with GI diseases and our commitment to evolve the management of these diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, by potentially offering patients the ability to administer treatment in their own at home with a needle-free system.

A needle-free system wouldn’t just make drug delivery less painful, it also alleviates needle anxiety and speeds up the process, the company said. It can also allay patient concerns, such as the safe disposal of needles and storing needles away from children.

This partnership allows us to work collaboratively with Takeda’s highly experienced R&D team and provides the first opportunity to introduce the Portal device to patients, a pivotal step as we continue to expand its potential and grow our business,” Anquetil said in the statement. Portal plans to seek exclusive partnerships with pharma companies in other indications.

We have a very, very strong vision—a needle-free world,” he said. While he acknowledged this is a “bold and broad” vision, he said that these days, the focus is on innovative and life-changing drugs, while the delivery method has been overlooked.

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