Nanosys Announces Promising Results With Its Gecko-Inspired Drug Delivery Device

Nanosys, Inc. announced today the results of their initial studies using a novel silicon nanowire mucous membrane drug delivery device. These devices have a nano-structured surface that relies on adhesive properties known in physics as van der Waals forces of adhesion. Results of initial studies published this week in the American Chemical Society’s Nano Letters, outline the device’s ability to significantly improve drug delivery to mucous membranes such as those in the nose, intestine, eyes, vagina and mouth.

Mucous membranes have long been a target for drug delivery due to their large surface area and rich blood supply. However, nature has designed these membranes to also be efficient barriers to foreign substance penetration, such as drugs. Mucus, which is constantly produced by these tissues, is moved across the surface by tiny beating hair-like structures called cilia. Removal of a substance floating in the mucus of the nasal cavity can be as fast as ten minutes, for example. Previous attempts at overcoming this barrier function relied on chemical modification of the delivery vehicle to better adhere to binding elements within the mucus. Nanosys’s silicon nanowires will adhere instead to the cells underneath the mucus, the actual targets for drug delivery. This critical feature allows for a longer residence time, improved local concentrations and better absorption of target drugs by the tissues.

The team, led by Hugh Daniels at Nanosys and Tejal Desai and Kayte Fischer at the University of California, San Francisco, also quantified the amount of mucosal shear force the silicon nanowire-based devices could withstand before being eliminated, and demonstrated it to be at least 100-fold better than a non-silicon nanowire device.

“In the near term, there are a lot of chronic conditions of the nose, sinuses and other tissues that could immediately benefit from more efficient delivery of currently available drugs using our silicon nanowire drug delivery technology. We are also excited about the longer term potential of delivery of systemic drugs such as insulin via the mucous membrane route,” said Dr. Daniels. In addition, silicon nanowires are inexpensive to make and are biocompatible. Nanosys expects to develop the technology further in partnership with drug manufacturers whose drugs could be made more effective through this delivery approach.

About Nanosys, Inc.

Nanosys, Inc. is a leader in the development of nanotechnology-enabled products utilizing high performance inorganic nanostructures. Nanosys has built one of the broadest technology platforms in the industry with over 650 patents and patent applications covering fundamental areas of nanotechnology. Based in Palo Alto, California and privately held, Nanosys collaborates with industry leaders to develop revolutionary high-value, high-performance products for life sciences, computing, optoelectronics, renewable energy, and defense. Additional information on Nanosys can be found on its website at www.nanosysinc.com.

Harvard University and Nanosys License Nanowire Biosensor Systems to Vista Therapeutics

Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development (OTD), Nanosys, Inc., and Vista Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that Vista has signed License Agreements with both Harvard University and Nanosys covering several patents and patent applications related to the use of nanowires for biosensors.

The core intellectual property (IP) involves a wide range of applications in nanotechnology, nanomaterials and the use of nanowire-based field effect transistors (FETs) as biosensors, all of which were derived from the work of Dr. Charles Lieber, a professor of Chemistry at Harvard, and a pioneer in nanotechnology.

Under terms of the agreements, Vista has secured the exclusive, worldwide rights for the use of nanowires for detection of biomarkers associated with organ or tissue damage, and any form of treatment or therapeutics-associated adverse response(s). In consideration, Harvard and Nanosys have received an equity position in Vista, as well as upfront license and downstream royalty payments.

While Harvard and Nanosys each own extensive portfolios of IP around multiple aspects of nanotechnology including basic nanowire compositions, nanowire synthesis and the use of nanowires and other nanostructures for many applications, Vista will focus its attention on the use of nanowire-based FETs as highly sensitive sensors of biomolecules. The power of Lieber’s nanotechnology inventions is that they permit continuous and real-time monitoring of multiple biomarkers in blood and urine. Vista plans to manufacture and sell nanowires that are formatted to provide real-time, continuous measurement of blood and urinary biomarkers of organ and tissue injury.

“Just as EKG instruments allow physicians to continuously monitor a patient’s heart function, the broad nanowire IP portfolio acquired in these agreements will allow Vista to commercialize and market its NanoBioSensor™ platform that enables physicians, clinicians and pharmaceutical researchers to continuously monitor, on a real-time basis, a wide variety of blood and urinary biomarkers that will be transformational to patient care,” according to Dr. Spencer Farr, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vista.

“The potential to commercialize this portfolio of nanowire technologies is quite significant and could fundamentally reshape approaches to the monitoring of medical emergency situations,” said Isaac T. Kohlberg, Harvard University’s Senior Associate Provost and Chief Technology Development Officer. “Working together with Nanosys to license these patents to Vista, we’re able to move the technology forward and give it every opportunity to evolve from initial laboratory findings to commercial applications, which will benefit society. We’re excited to be working in concert with both companies as they grow as leaders in their respective fields.”

About Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development

The Harvard Office of Technology Development (OTD) is responsible for all activities pertaining to the evaluation, patenting and licensing of new inventions and discoveries made at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School. OTD also serves to further the development of Harvard technologies through the establishment of sponsored research collaborations with industry. OTD’s mission is to promote the public good by fostering innovation and translating new inventions made at Harvard into useful products available and beneficial to society.

About Nanosys, Inc.

Nanosys, Inc. is a leader in the development of nanotechnology enabled products utilizing high performance inorganic nanostructures. Nanosys has built one of the broadest technology platforms in the industry with over 650 patents and patent applications covering fundamental areas of nanotechnology. Based in Palo Alto, California and privately held, Nanosys collaborates with industry leaders to develop revolutionary high-value, high-performance products for life sciences, computing, optoelectronics, renewable energy, and defense. Additional information on Nanosys can be found at www.nanosysinc.com.

About Vista Therapeutics, Inc.

Vista Therapeutics, Inc. is a start-up company founded by Dr. Spencer Farr, a molecular toxicologist from Harvard and founder of Xenometrix Inc. and Phase-1 Molecular Toxicology Inc., and Charles Lieber. Vista plans to commercialize its nanowire-based biosensors to allow for continuous, real-time, simultaneous, label-free monitoring of multiple biomarkers through its NanoBioSensor™ platform. In conjunction with its corporate partners, Potentia Pharmaceuticals and ICX/Meso Systems, Vista believes it is well positioned to facilitate rapid product commercialization in a capital-efficient manner. Additional information on Vista can be found at www.vistatherapeutics.org.