Financing R&D Through a Range of Consumer Products

From the discovery of "heavy water" in 1933 until now, "light" water—deuterium-depleted water (DDW)—has only received scarce attention from the medical community. While some evidence has shown that consumption of the water may be a good adjunct to chemotherapy, medical communities, governmental decision-makers, pharma leaders, and investors have so far remained hesitant on the matter. Hungarian local company HYD is one of the few companies active in the niche. While its founder and managing director, Gábor Somlyai, is positive about the Phase I results, he cautions how increasing awareness and obtaining financing remain tough challenges. As for the latter, Somlyai resorted to a more "natural" version of the water first, that would be classified as a functional food category. Now, by reinvesting the cash generated from the Preventa sales (its branded DDW), he aims to further develop a variant that can be classified as a drug. "The second category should be in the lower D-concentration category that should be registered as a drug, prescribed by physicians with expenses covered by the health insurance," he explains. New investment will not only bring a GMP standard production facility, but also a next trial. "We are sure that if we complete a new Phase II clinical trial, we can proceed to Phase III or alternatively find a license partner to complete the job," Somlyai says.