N4 Pharma Plc provided a positive update on its ongoing oral delivery research work. The Company through its research program with the University of Queensland is evaluating the potential of Nuvec to act as an oral delivery system for oligonucleotides including DNA and RNA. Experiments have now confirmed, in vivo, the successful oral administration of Nuvec loaded with a DNA plasmid for ovalbumin.

The Nuvec was administered by enteric coated capsule and the contents, having been released in the intestinal lumen, were taken up by intestinal cells, with successful transfection and release of the newly synthesized ovalbumin. Specifically, the first experiment was a repeat of a study conducted earlier this year whereby an enterically coated capsule containing Nuvec loaded with an DNA plasmid for ovalbin was administered and protein expression was observed after 3 days. In this recent experiment, an additional second capsule was administered on day 3 which resulted in a much higher peak level of expression on days 4-7.