From Oral Medication to Liquid: Q&A with Michael Demurjian

Michael Demurjian
Chief Executive Officer
Chairman
Aspargo Labs

Aspargo Labs uses a proprietary technology platform to reformulate oral medication to liquid doses. CEO and chairman Michael Demurjian spoke with Pharmaceutical Executive about the development of the platform and the benefits of its uses.

Pharmaceutical Executive: What are the benefits of reformulating oral solid dose medications into liquid form?
Michael Demurjian: While pills are a common form of medication administration, many patients struggle with taking them, and this can lead to a lack of adherence to medication schedules, which in some cases can lead to significant health consequences. This was a primary motivating factor for us to look at transforming how medications can be delivered to patients. Our approach involves taking traditional oral solid dose medications and reformulating them into spray-delivered liquids, and our team has worked tirelessly to perfect the relationship between molecular particle size, coating, and viscosity for faster absorption and enhanced therapeutic outcomes.

By giving patients choices in medication delivery, we can make a difference in patient care and improve adherence. One of the primary benefits of administering medications in liquid form is a faster onset of action, in addition to higher absorption rates. This means more efficient treatment delivery for patients who need it most, such as patients for our first oral suspension medication application in erectile dysfunction.

PE: How was your proprietary technology platform developed?
Demurjian: The foundation of our innovation at Aspargo is our proprietary technology platform. We are utilizing unique regulatory pathways for approval of fast absorbing oral suspensions of existing therapeutics. This strategic approach is designed to help us bring our reformulated medications to market in a manner that is fast and cost effective, while minimizing risk. We are also developing a digital device that will deliver these oral suspension formulations to enhance patient experience but also to connect health providers and patients to empower physicians to manage health outcomes more effectively. Our technology is protected by numerous patents and securing our intellectual property has been at the forefront of our approach. The first generation of our device has been through the multiple phases of development and testing needed prior to large-scale manufacturing.

PE: What is your five-year plan at Aspargo?
Demurjian: Our five-year vision at Aspargo is ambitious. We believe that our comprehensive approach to growth, combined with our innovative technology platform, puts us in a unique position to shape the future of pharmaceutical drug delivery systems. We are committed over the next five years to improving patient outcomes through the development of our advanced liquid formulation technologies and connected delivery device. We are currently focused on continuing clinical studies to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our oral suspensions, for both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. We are entering into development of the next generation of our connected digital device for medication delivery, with exchangeable multidrug capability. We are also working toward geographic expansion and regulatory approval across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), as well as in North America. Our goal is to make our innovative drug delivery solutions available to patients globally, and we're making steady progress toward that objective.

PE: In what ways is Aspargo looking to expand its pipeline?
Demurjian: We are working on expanding our pipeline in two key areas. First, we are focused on high-value therapeutics with the potential to significantly impact people’s lives. We see tremendous potential in the area of diabetes therapeutics and weight management. We are actively developing new oral suspension formulations of metformin, in addition to other important medications of high utility such as rosuvastatin for high cholesterol, and oral chemotherapies for use in oncology. On the OTC side, we are first focusing on popular medications such as ibuprofen for pain and dimenhydrinate for motion sickness. We also have had discussions with interested parties on developing an oral suspension potassium iodide to protect the thyroid gland from the effects of radiation. These medications are just the beginning, and our team is particularly focused on addressing chronic and acute pain management, metabolic diseases, and cardiovascular conditions–areas where we believe our technology can make a real difference in patients' lives.