Valeritas Rallies On Positive Preclinical Data For CBD Delivery Using Wearable Device

Valeritas Holdings Inc VLRX shares have shed more than 61% in the year-to-date period. The stock is picking up some momentum Tuesday following a pre-clinical data readout from the medical technology company.

What Happened

Valeritas, which makes the V-Go – Wearable Insulin Delivery Device using its proprietary h-Patch technology, announced positive results from a preclinical pharmacokinetic study of cannabidiol subcutaneous infusion with two dosing regimens delivered using its proprietary h-Patch wearable drug delivery device.

The study evaluated CBD delivered over a single 24-hour period using the h-Patch, with two doses: 40mg/24 hour and 76mg/24 hour tested using the patch.

The pharmacokinetics evaluated at time points up to 48 hours from the start of infusion showed that both dosages displayed rapid absorption and distribution with CBD levels in blood detected within an hour of the start of the infusion, Valeritas said.

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Why It's Important

Orally delivered CBD solutions have very low bio-availability in humans and there are also concerns about their longer-term effect on liver due to exposure to toxic metabolites.

Valeritas said subcutaneous infusion of CBD via the h-Patch vests several advantages including:

• Achievement of therapeutic concentrations with a fraction of the overall dose
• Significantly prolonged half life
• Minimization of variation in CBD metabolism
• A notable reduction in the overall amount of drug metabolized by the liver

The company sees huge opportunity for its CBD delivery mechanism, with about 160 clinical trials with CBD currently underway or are about to start for disease targets ranging from epilepsy, PTSD, pain, cardiovascular disease, addiction and cancer.

"Subcutaneous infusion is a powerful delivery method for a variety of drugs with solubility, permeability, and first-pass metabolism challenges, and the h-Patch™ may offer a cost-effective alternative means of reliable and patient-friendly drug dosing," said CEO John Timberlake.

Valeritas shares were rallying 15% to $2.88 per share Tuesday morning.

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Photo courtesy of Valeritas.