Vyteris
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Becton Dickinson's spin-off, Vyteris, has big plans for its iontophoresis transdermal drug delivery system, which actively pressures molecules to go into the body over time. Vyteris has chosen to seek approval of its use first with lidocaine, a powerful, fast-acting local anesthetic, which has been on the market for years. While it works well to desensitize skin prior to minor surgery or injection, its use is limited because it takes too long to be effective for widespread applications and doesn't go deep enough under the skin. Vyteris' transdermal lidocaine system addresses these shortcomings and has the potential to expand substantially lidocaine's market.