Dizlin Pharmaceuticals AB
Dizlin Pharmaceuticals AB (Dizlin) is a medical research company active in the development of medical drugs for treatment of diseases of the central nervous system.
Dizlin is currently concentrating its resarch resources on the development of medical drugs for treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Research and development are based at the Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden. The Sahlgrenska Academy was also the base for Professor Emeritus Arvid Carlsson’s research, where he discovered that dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain and not just a precursor of noradrenaline.
Arvid Carlsson was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine in the year of 2000 for his pioneering research, which also paved the way for using the dopamine precursor levodopa in the treatment of PD. Ever since then, levodopa has been the primary medical substance used in the treatment of PD. Arvid Carlsson was concerned about the fact that oral intake of levodopa eventually leads to, so called, on-off symptoms, characterized by rapid shifts between hypokinesia (decreased motility) and involuntary dyskinesias (hyper mobility) – called ”On-Off” – and he was therefore enthusiastic about Dizlin’s research, which offers a way to substantially reduce severe On-Off symptoms. Arvid Carlsson was a member of Dizlin’s Board of Directors until he passed away in the spring of 2018.
Effective treatment of Parkinson’s disease
Dizlin has developed a number of formulations for treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The product portfolio named Infudopa© consists of levodopa-carbidopa infusion solutions that may be administered through injection, short-term continuous intravenous infusion and long-term continuous subcutaneous infusion. Infudopa IntraV© may be infused directly into the veins, which allows for treatment of PD patients in “off-mode” through injections. Infudopa IntraV© may also be used through short-term continuous intravenous infusion for treatment of in-patients at perioperative care.
Infudopa SubC© may be administered continuously through long-term subcutaneous infusion. (Continuous supply of levodopa-carbidopa to the blood – and thereby continuous supply of dopamine to the brain – has proven to reduce on-off symptoms). Patients suffering from PD may now be treated in the same way as insulin-dependent diabetes patients i.e. through continuous subcutaneous infusion using a small belt-pump. Infudopa is targeting PD patients suffering from both moderate and severe PD.
Infudopa has the potential to become an important treatment for PD-patients suffering from on-off symptoms .
“I have an ethical responsibility to contribute to Infudopa™ becoming available to patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease”
– Arvid Carlsson – Nobel Prize winner
Competitive position
Clinical studies show that continuous administration of levodopa improves motor complications experienced by PD-patients. Continuous subcutaneous infusion is a preferred way of delivering levodopa continuously to PD-patients suffering from motor complications such as on-off symptoms.
There is currently no medical drug available on the market that allows for continuous subcutaneous infusion. Infudopa SubC© is a levodopa/carbidopa infusion solution designed for treatment of PD-patients, suffering from both moderate and severe motor complications, through continuous subcutaneous infusion. An interim study performed on PD-patients confirms that Infudopa SubC© may be used as monotherapy also for patients suffering from severe PD. The levodopa levels in the blood are even throughout the day and high enough for treating also the most levodopa-demanding patients.
The response time is short – the treatment may be adjusted to suit individual patients with different need of levodopa in the blood. A bolus dose may be given during the day when a PD-patient may need additional dopamine during e.g. sports activities. The shelf life of Infudopa is 24 months refrigerated, which simplifies logistics. The stability is at least three months in room temperature, which facilitates for PD- patients travelling. The features of Infudopa SubC© indicate it has a favourable competitive position.
Intellectual property
Patents protecting the original formulation have been granted both in the US and Europe as well as in other important markets. A new patent application was filed in June 2018. The new application covers important features of a further development of the original formulation. Additional measures have been taken as well, in order to protect the Infudopa intellectual property, which together with granted patents and recent patent applications constitute a robust protection of the company’s intellectual property.