Lubrizol Licenses Award-Winning Apisolex™ Excipient to Welton Pharma to Develop a Novel Cancer Therapeutic

Upwards of 60% of Cancer Drugs Have Solubility Issues, Lubrizol and Welton Aim to Address This Challenge

CLEVELAND, Ohio – June 21, 2023 – The Lubrizol Corporation announces the licensing of its novel excipient polymer technology, Apisolex™ excipient, to Welton Pharma (Welton). The license allows Welton to use the Apisolex excipient worldwide to develop and commercialize a novel formulation of SN-38 to treat colorectal and associated gastro-intestinal cancers.    

Introduced to the market last year, the patented Apisolex excipient is a polyamino-acid polymer designed for parenteral applications.  The use of the Apisolex excipient has been proven to increase the solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) by as much as 50,000-fold with the goal of increasing the API’s efficacy in the body. Lubrizol continues to invest in expanding the reach of the Apisolex excipient in the market and nurturing relationships with drug product manufacturers that are facing insoluble API challenges.

Kevin Song, Ph.D. Global Marketing Director, Lubrizol Life Science Health said, “We are continuously innovating to solve challenges for our customers and partners. By delivering differentiated solubility-enhancing solutions to the market, we enable the acceleration of life changing drug products to patients who need them.”

Welton is looking to bring life-saving solutions for the treatment of colorectal cancer that impacts 1.9 million people worldwide (2020)1. Combining Welton’s formulation expertise and Lubrizol’s Apisolex excipient, Welton plans to develop a novel formulation of SN-38 to overcome its solubility challenges in water, which has hindered its clinical development.  Welton seeks to develop a stable, ready-to-use formulation having higher bioavailability and shorter infusion time to enhance the clinical outcome for cancer patients. In the next 12 months, Welton will focus on advancing their lead formulation with the Apisolex excipient into nonclinical testing and developing plans for the first in-human studies. 

Kevin Sill, Ph.D., Welton CEO and cofounder, “We are thrilled to have access to both this critical excipient and the expertise of Lubrizol.  We will be relying on the strong patent protection of the Apisolex™ excipient, coupled with supply and supporting data as we advance our product.”

Request a sample of the Apisolex™ excipient today by visiting www.apisolex.com.

About The Lubrizol Corporation

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a science-based company whose specialty chemistry delivers sustainable solutions to advance mobility, improve well-being and enhance modern life. Every day, the innovators of Lubrizol strive to create extraordinary value for customers at the intersection of science, market needs and business success, driving discovery and creating breakthrough solutions that enhance life and make the world work better. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has global reach and local presence, with more than 100 manufacturing facilities, sales and technical offices and 8,000 employees around the world. For more information, visit www.Lubrizol.com.

About Welton

Welton Pharma is a product-focused, discovery-stage company advancing 505(b)(2) injectable products.   With an initial focus in oncology, the team has evaluated several hundred other potential drugs that could benefit from enhanced solubility to improve patient outcomes. For more information, visit www.weltonpharma.com.

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