Generic Rotigotine Patches Developed by Vektor Pharma

A generic version of the transdermal (absorbed through the skin) Neupro patch (rotigotine), often used to ease the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, has been developed by Vektor Pharma. 

The company is preparing to test the patches in human clinical studies in Europe later this year, with results expected by the end of the year.

“We are extremely pleased with the TDS [transdermal delivery system] development results thus far. It appears that our goal of optimizing the dosage form efficiency, to reduce the amount of drug required in each patch, and improving overall patch adhesion to the patient’s skin has been achieved,” Thomas Beckert, founder and managing director of Vektor, said in a press release. 

Rotigotine is a dopamine agonist. It works by binding to dopamine receptors in the brain, mimicking the action of dopamine, a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) that is present at lower levels in the brain of those with Parkinson’s disease.

Neupro patches are used once daily and allow a slow and constant release of rotigotine directly into the bloodstream, over the course of 24 hours. The patches are approved for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease in Europe and the United States.

Generic medications are designed to work in the same way and provide the same benefits and safety profile as the brand-name version of that medication. They usually are sold after the end of patents and exclusivities that protect the brand-name version, and tend to cost less than their brand-name versions.

Vektor, a subsidiary of XPhyto Therapeutics, focuses on developing transdermal delivery systems for medications that can be given through patches or sublingual (under the tongue) strips. 

The company is implementing manufacturing processes to produce the generic rotigotine patches for the human clinical studies that will test the patches.

“XPhyto’s Parkinson’s drug patch is an excellent example of the Company’s generic drug delivery strategy whereby approved generic drugs can be delivered using Vektor’s novel drug delivery platforms,” said Hugh Rogers, XPhyto’s CEO.

“For both our transdermal patches and oral dissolvable films, we see the generic drug delivery model as a major opportunity for scalable value creation through expedited clinical evaluation and product launch, particularly in Europe,” Rogers said.