A new startup company, ProTransit Nanotherapies, has been founded on the back of the innovation, which is said to create a more potent barriers, serving to protect skin from UV radiation that can cause photo-aging, wrinkles and even skin cancer.
The startup says that it wants to commercialize and market the innovation as a nontoxic, biodegradeable systems, which they hope will be on the market within the next 18 months.
Technology will go to market through a collaborative project
The technology has been developed by Vinod Labhasetwar, PhD, who is a former faculty head at UNMC’s department of Pharmaceutical and now professor of biomedical engineering at the Lerner Research Institute at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Dr. Labhasetwar has formed a joint venture to develop the technology in collaboration with Gary Madsen, PhD, the entrepreneur in residence at UNeMed Corporation. UNeMed is the technology transfer office at UNMC.
Dr. Madsen will serve as the company’s new president and CEO, while Dr. Labhasetwar will be co-founder and chief scientific officer.
Nanotechnology with targeted delivery
The basis of the technology is that it can carry a wide range of proteins, enzymes, and genetic materials that can be customized to deliver targeted treatments, it is claimed.
As well as cosmetic applications, the company is hoping that further research will enable it to expand applications for the technology beyond the skin care area, and into medical applications such as stroke and heart disease, thanks to the way it acts as a delivery vehicle for free radicals.
However, according to the company, the first application will be targeted at the cosmetics world, delivering what is said to be a powerful blend of protective antioxidants in topical formulations to protect skin from the sun’s UV radiation.