News & Media

TruTag Technologies and Spinnaker Biosciences Partner on a New Targeted, Controlled Release Therapy for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

EMERYVILLE, CA AND SOLANA BEACH, CA, December 20, 2023 — TruTag Technologies, Inc. and Spinnaker Biosciences, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a strategic supply partnership for TruTag’s advanced nano-porous silica (pSi) particles to support the commercialization of Spinnaker’s new therapy for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The Spinnaker therapy is a combination product that involves the loading of the biosimilar Ranibizumab into pSi particles. The pSi particles are injected into the eye, where they act as a controlled-release drug delivery vehicle that delivers its payload over several months. TruTag’s pSi is an effective vehicle for in-vivo drug delivery due to its inherent biocompatibility, particle porosity and pore size. This allows for a sustained delivery of a therapeutic payload without the inherent dissolution challenges of other drug-delivery polymers.

The pSi utilized in the Spinnaker solution is highly-customized and has to meet precise porosity, pore size and elution specifications. TruTag Technologies is unrivalled in its ability to manufacture pSi to highly-precise specifications and under cGMP manufacturing conditions at a cost and quantity that makes the overall solution viable. Under the agreement, TruTag will supply Spinnaker with precision-crafted porous silicon-based particles.

“TruTag Technologies is recognized as leaders in their field and we are excited to be working with their team. TruTag’s ability to reproducibly manufacture large quantities of cGMP pSi to our precise specifications has allowed us to focus resources on building our pipeline and expanding the application of our delivery platform,” said Malcolm Finlayson, CEO of Spinnaker Biosciences.

“Spinnaker’s drug delivery technology has the potential to be a game-changer that vastly improves therapeutic effectiveness – said Barry McDonogh, CEO of TruTag Technologies. We are thrilled to be partnering with Spinnaker as key facilitators of their innovation”.

The Spinnaker therapy has already undergone successful pre-clinical development with Phase 1 human trials scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2024. The therapy offers improved drug delivery to the specific site of action and has a multi-month release profile – dramatically improving compliancewhile reducing the number of injections and the risk of infection.