Iran competes with US in advanced slow-release drug technology

An Iranian knowledge-based company has emerged as a rival to the US in the development of advanced slow-release drug technology, according to the Communications and Information Center of the Iranian Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy.

Mohammad Taghi Fathi, CEO of the company which is also working on a fertility treatment drug expected to be available next year, stated that it is the second in the world to possess In Situ Forming technology. 

The advanced method allows for the production of drugs like Triptorelin Acetate, used for treating endometriosis, reducing uterine fibroids, and treating prostate cancer. 

The company, founded in 2009 at the Polymer and Petrochemical Research Institute, has indigenized the technology, which is now only available in Iran and the US.

The company’s main products are slow-release drugs that work over one to six months. 

Fathi highlighted the production of Octreotide, a drug for acromegaly and cancer-related symptoms, and Buprenorphine, a painkiller. The company is the second in the world to produce Buprenorphine after a UK company. They also produce Ropivacaine and Bupivacaine, as well as Zolvar for hypercalcemia and bone metastases.

The company has successfully exported its products to neighboring countries and is expanding its production capacity. Future plans include the introduction of three new slow-release drugs to the market.