Transfersome® Technology
Transfersome® technology is based on highly hydrophilic (drawn to water) and ultra-deformable sub-microscopic vesicles, called Transfersomes® which can be loaded with a therapeutically active ingredient. Each vesicular carrier overcomes the skin barrier spontaneously, to deposit the drug into deep tissues, as it is drawn from the dry surface to the water-rich region beneath the skin. When applied to the skin, the carrier searches and exploits hydrophilic pathways or 'pores' between the cells in the skin, which it opens wide enough to permit the entire vesicle to pass through together with its drug cargo, deforming itself extremely to accomplish this without losing its vesicular integrity or releasing its cargo. The carrier then avoids the local microvasculature in order to deposit the drug at various depths in or below the skin, where the active ingredient is preferentially and slowly released to its targeted tissue. The depth and extent of the drug deposition is chiefly controlled by the carrier composition and the Transfersome® dose applied per area, rather than the total drug amount or concentration used.
Celtic-controlled companies are developing four products using Transfersome® technology, and exploring opportunities to use the technology to improve on current treatments in a wide range of indications.