The drug delivery company, Win Coat Corporation (WCC), said yesterday that it has recently completed a NT$420 million Series B fundraising round.
According to Dr. Ta-Jo Liu, Chairman of WCC, its proprietary Transdermal Microneedle System is a new generation of intradermal drug delivery platform that can achieve the goal of reducing pain and delivering drugs effectively and safely. Unlike traditional transdermal absorption, the patch contains hundreds of micro-needles that puncture the stratum corneum to release the drug intradermally. In addition to solving the problem of the keratin layer blocking the applicator and making intra-dermal injection difficult, it also increases the bioavailability (BA) of the drug and is not limited to fat or water soluble.
The company has a special multi-layer micro-needle production technology, using FDA-approved medical polymer materials to mass-produce micro-needle patches for healthcare, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and vaccine products, with a yield rate of over 95% through more than 20 professional processes. The company has already signed agreements with a number of biotech companies in Taiwan and overseas for the production of mass production lines and the development of vaccine micro-needle patches; the medical and aesthetic micro-needle patches will be officially launched in Taiwan in 2020 and 2022 respectively, and the company has also joined hands with Japanese brands to enter the Asia Pacific market.
Liu said that in recent years, investors' confidence in new drug development in Taiwan has been slightly affected, making it difficult to raise funds.
He said, "Synmosa has a complete channel marketing team in hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in Taiwan, and its quality products have been used by hospitals and clinics of teaching level or above in Taiwan for years. It is expected that the addition of this new member will add impetus to the future globalisation of WCC.
Through its self-developed microneedle laminating platform technology, microneedle laminating equipment and production line design, high-precision microneedle moulds and automated mass production technology, WCC has been able to break through the current mass production dilemma in the market and commercialise its products to achieve full volume of drug delivery, precise drug control, economy of scale, and consistency and stability of mass production products. In just four years, WCC is one of the few companies in the world to have fully automated mass production capability for microneedle patches.
In addition, WCC has developed its own microneedle platform technology and new dosage forms, and is gradually collaborating with major global biotech companies through international conferences and exhibitions. In the future, the company will further strengthen its collaboration with international pharmaceutical companies by investing in new 505(b)(2) dosage forms and new drugs with high technology threshold and lower risk, in order to provide stable revenue and continue to enhance its technology and operational value.
