Rosacea is not a life threatening condition, but the facial redness of the disorder
can be embarrassing enough to make a sufferer want to die. Rosacea is
characterized by a red blush, spidery veins and acne-like pustules on
the face. The condition may be intermittent or long term. Malvern-based
Vicept is a specialty biopharmaceutical startup that has developed a
topical cream that treats the most obvious symptom of the facial
condition.
“There’s nothing right now on the
market that’s strictly indicated for the treatment of the redness of
rosacea,” explains Vicept Director, President and CEO Neal Walker, MD.
With $16 million in Investigational New Drug (IND) capital raised during
a very tough time for the economy and for life sciences investment in
particular, Vicept’s prescription cream is an easy fix compared to other
rosacea treatments on the market, none of which address the symptom of
redness. Laser procedures are considered cosmetic and are not reimbursed
by insurance, however if you do have the money to spend on an IPL laser treatment then going to a reliable company like Dynamic Dermatology (https://www.dynamicdermatology.com) is always a great decision for an effective treatment plan; Oracea, a low dose antibiotic in pill form, affects the
whole body and only targets the bumps and pimples, not the redness,
according to Walker.
In contrast, Vicept’s
as-yet unnamed product goes after receptors in facial blood vessels,
clamping them down with a vasoconstrictor mechanism and blanching out
the redness. Walker is a practicing dermatologist and reports that the
active ingredient in the cream has been around since the 1960s, and was
originally in Afrin nasal spray.
Vicept has
completed Phase 2 clinical studies and is ready to move on to Phase 3 as
it continues to move the product along in development, talking with
different types of potential partners for distribution both in North
America and globally. The fast track company, founded in 2009, has seven
full time employees and is nominated for a PACT Enterprise Award this
year. Walker says he expects the prescription cream to be available
within the next few years.
Source: Neal Walker, MD, Vicept
Writer: Sue Spolan
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