Apricus announces publication of NexACT technology data in Pharmaceutics Journal

Nov 30 2010

Apricus Biosciences, Inc. ("Apricus Bio") (NASDAQ: APRI), announced today that the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, a peer reviewed journal, has published new data on the NexACT^® technology in their November 2010 issue, based on research conducted by, and at, the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey in Piscataway, NJ. The article, entitled, "Enhanced in vitro Transbuccal Drug Delivery of Ondansetron HCl," highlights NexACT enhancers' ability to significantly improve permeation of ondansetron, a drug used to treat nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and post surgery, through porcine buccal tissue.

“The buccal route of delivery represents an additional, new application of NexACT and potentially enables us to deliver drugs that cannot be delivered via the oral, intravenous or transdermal route.”

The data shows that DDAIP.HCl, one of the NexACT technology's proprietary enhancers, provided the best improvements when compared to other enhancers (Azone, Iminosulfurane) and other technologies (iontophoresis). The highest concentration of NexACT enhancer tested (5%) did not affect the viability of the buccal cells, suggesting a safe range for clinical use.

Dr. Bassam Damaj, President and Chief Executive Officer of Apricus Bio, noted, "The buccal route of delivery represents an additional, new application of NexACT and potentially enables us to deliver drugs that cannot be delivered via the oral, intravenous or transdermal route."

The abstract is available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21056647.