Mucocort AB is a Swedish company that has developed a unique self-absorbing pain relief patch for people suffering from recurrent mouth ulcers – aphthous stomatitis.
The company has signed a production agreement with medical technology company Aurena Laboratories AB, which also becomes a stakeholder in Mucocort.
Aphthous stomatitis is a common disorder. Sixty percent of the world’s population has experienced such mouth ulcers at some point during their lifetime. At any given moment, about 2% of the population is estimated to suffer from mouth ulcers.
Pain and difficulty in eating and talking is a major problem reported by patients with aphthous stomatitis. This problem has not been sufficiently addressed by previous treatments available on the market. Immediate pain relief is the main feature of the Mucocort oral patch.
The patch is a MDR class II product, which relieves pain and speeds up the natural healing process of the aphthous ulcer.
The primary effect of the patch when placed in the ulcer is hygroscopic, leading to absorption of what the company said is the “inflammatory soup” in the ulcer.
Up to 100% absorption
The Mucocort oral patch covers and stays on the aphthous lesion for about three to four hours. The hygroscopic effect of the patch is very powerful. After applying on the mucosal ulcer, the patch absorbs up to 100% of the tissue fluid, inflammatory compounds, viruses and bacteria in the aphthous ulcer. After application, the patch absorbs 20-25 times its own weight before it turns into a gel. The patch is fully biodegradable and usually disappears within four to five hours.
“The patch primarily provides immediate pain relief. We believe the effective pain relief provided by this new treatment will, among other things, drastically reduce the need for cortisone treatment that is currently used to relieve discomfort,” said Jean Lycke, CEO of the company.
Mucocort is now preparing an application to the Swedish Medical Products Agency seeking permission for a clinical trial. Once validated and approved by the ethics review board, a clinical study will start in the first quarter of 2023.
Mucocort is now teaming up with Aurena Laboratories, a privately-owned company in Karlstad Sweden. By joining forces, the companies will secure manufacturing operations and quality at all levels and retain production and further product development in Sweden. An agreement is signed between Aurena Laboratories, as a minority owner, and Mucocort to work together on the development, production, marketing, and sales, to launch the product on international markets.
New collaboration
“Aurena has excellent production facilities and product development, and the company is currently working with the customers that would be potentially interested in that Mucocort aphthous ulcer patch. Importantly, Aurena Laboratories also has all the infrastructure in place that is needed for the European market, including regulatory, production, shipping, orders, and distribution,” Lycke siad.
Magnus and Lars Hedman, the owners and chief executives of Aurena Laboratories said they are looking forward to the new collaboration to launch the new aphthous ulcer product.
“We are a Swedish medical technology manufacturing company, collaborating with innovative companies from Sweden. Mucocort is a rare and exciting innovation company. We look forward to establishing the Mucocort breakthrough product on international markets,” Magnus Hedman said.
“Mucocort is, in many respects, a unique company, where the owners work pro bono with a largely virtual business model that focuses on products for topical mucosal diseases,” Lars Hedman said.
Revenue goes back to product development
Mucocort AB is operating from the Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) in Northern Sweden. It is a virtual company that has low or no fixed costs for offices or laboratory facilities but relies on external solutions when necessary. Currently, 98.5% of revenue and capital goes toward product development – made possible partly through support from Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) and partly thanks to the team’s skills and industry network.
Mucocort AB has a strict focus on developing novel treatments for mucosal diseases. The growth strategy outlined for the company will focus on geographical expansion to reach new markets for current products. The company will also expand its scope of operations to include work on additional mucosal “high medical need” indications such as xerostomia.
“Xerostomia, dry mouth in everyday speech, is an interesting development project that we will continue to work on,” Lycke said.
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