I-MED Pharma Inc.

I-MED Pharma Inc., a Montreal-based biotechnology company and Biocia Inc., a New Jersey-based biotechnology company announced today the Health Canada approval for their fourth generation preservative-free, multi-dose, viscoadaptive eye drop, i-drop® PUR Gel for treating ocular surface disorders (OSD) such as dry eye disease (DED). This product already received a CE mark earlier this year.

Viscoadaptive eye drops are topical solutions that exhibit both cohesive and dispersive behaviours depending on the shear energy in the solution. At low shear rates the solution exhibits cohesive behaviour (enhanced viscosity for lubrication, protection and prevention of evaporation of the tear film) and at higher shear rates it may exhibit dispersive behaviour (enhanced elasticity for optimal patient comfort and longer residence time requiring fewer applications during the day and/or night).

The i-drop® commercial line of products are the only current commercially available viscoadaptive solutions. The newly approved i-drop® PUR Gel, 0.30% viscoadaptive hyaluronan, will be available in a simple to use, preservative-free multi-dose 10 mL bottle which dispenses sterile eye drops from the first to the last drop.

Ilan Hofmann, Ph.D., President of both I-MED and Biocia commented: “this latest approval will continue to strengthen I-MED’s commercial footprint in the Canadian OSD market which is projected to be growing >13% per year with state-of-the-art Products that are superior to others commonly marketed in Canada.

Wes Domareki, MBA, Chairman of the Board of Biocia Inc. commented: “i-drop® PUR Gel represents the culmination of years of successful research and development which is now being offered to suitable licensing partners on a worldwide basis moving forward”.