Irish biotech company ArrayPatch has acquired intellectual property and associated know-how from Vitropep for the delivery of peptides via dissolving microneedle patches, broadening its drug delivery offering to address therapeutic peptides that have traditionally faced challenges with patient acceptance, stability, or systemic absorption, according to First Word Pharma.

The acquired technology is designed to maximise peptide loading capacity within the patch while improving stability, complementing ArrayPatch's existing DerMap platform, a dissolving, polymer-free microneedle patch drug delivery system.

Waleed Faisal, co-founder and chief executive of ArrayPatch, said: "This acquisition strengthens our technology base and complements the advances we have already made in painless microneedle patch delivery. With promising proof-of-concept data already achieved with a number of peptides, we believe the combined technology creates meaningful opportunities to develop next-generation peptide therapies offering improved delivery and patient experience."

Positive pre-clinical proof-of-concept studies across a number of different peptides have already been generated, supporting their efficient delivery through painless microneedle patches. The results underpin the company's confidence in pursuing a broader range of peptide-based therapeutic programmes.

Peptides are increasingly central to therapies targeting major global health challenges, including diabetes, obesity, oncology, and cardiovascular disease. The acquisition positions ArrayPatch to pursue delivery solutions across a wider spectrum of these high-demand therapeutic areas, where conventional injectable formats have historically limited patient uptake.

The deal reflects growing industry momentum around needle-free and patient-friendly drug delivery formats, as pharmaceutical developers seek scalable alternatives to injection-based administration for peptide therapeutics.

Access the full story for further detail on the ArrayPatch acquisition and DerMap platform capabilities.