In recent years, Menopause Guidelines issued by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend that testosterone supplementation be considered for menopausal women with low sexual desire in cases where hormone replacement therapy alone is not effective. However, there are no currently approved testosterone products in the UK, Europe or the US for women.
Medherant intends to address this gap in menopause products being available for women. The UK-based clinical-stage company develops innovative treatments using its novel transdermal drug delivery technology called TEPI Patch. Its flagship product is a testosterone patch for women. These patches are a more convenient way to deliver drugs through the skin than gels and creams and provide better dose control.
In a recent development, Medherant has netted £2.9 million in funding from investors in a round led by Mercia Asset Management that backed Enate, SERG Technologies and Netacea. The company will use the funding to progress the development of its testosterone transdermal patch for post-menopausal women into clinical development.
John Burt, CEO at Medherant said, “Having the funding in place for the first clinical trial of our testosterone patch for post-menopausal women will enable Medherant to take a major step towards registration of the product and being able to address this significant gap in the options available for women in this very important stage of their lives.”
Drug delivery via transdermal patches
Medherant was founded by the University of Warwick’s Professor of Polymer Chemistry, David Haddleton in 2015 with the aim of developing innovative transdermal drug delivery technologies. Its TEPI Patch technology enables the controlled delivery of drugs through the skin using a unique adhesive matrix loaded with a wide range of drugs.
The TEPI Patch is thin, flexible, comfortable and moisture-resistant, does not leave a residue on the skin when it is removed, and has very good adhesion. This technology has the potential to improve patient compliance and enhance the efficacy of drugs that are traditionally delivered orally or by injection.
Medherant is focused on developing products in a variety of therapeutic areas, including pain management, dermatology, and neurology. The company has a number of partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and is actively seeking to expand its portfolio of drug delivery technologies.
