New Orleans-Based Biotech Firm Gains Portfolio of Extensive Intellectual Property Focused on Transdermal Delivery of Medications for a Range of Industries
Henley Ion, a New Orleans-based biotech company developing next generation technology in respiratory protection and medical devices, today announced it has merged with HGMT, a Colorado biotech startup founded by Dr Julian Henley and Dr Sarvjit Gill. HGMT is a developer of transdermal solutions invented by Dr. Julian Henley with numerous patents in transdermal and novel electro kinetic solutions to delivery of pharmacological agents and related molecules directly into tissues. The merger of these two companies expands Henley Ion’s capabilities to develop novel solutions for the healthcare. HGMT benefits from merger as it acquires an experienced business development team that cut its teeth with novel respiratory protection technology during pandemic where few companies would venture to develop new solutions. This union now gives Henley Ion over 30 issued and pending patents in its IP portfolio, benefitting the airway protection, air safety and transdermal and tissue drug delivery categories.
“The technologies we are actively developing and testing at Henley Ion through this merger under one unified effort fulfill my original desire to save lives by forging better medical solutions with novel technologies and save lives when we can,” said Dr. Henley, surgeon, inventor and co-founder of Henley Ion. “The merging of HGMT’s multichannel transdermal iontophoresis platform with Henley Ion’s groundbreaking ionization technology greatly strengthens our ability to solve the problems of today and be the leader in new solutions for tomorrow.”
Henley’s core transdermal technology utilizes multichannel electrokinetic technologies that can be applied to multiple medical applications. The company’s two initial products will have profound impacts in wound management and the dental space.
Dr. Henley’s novel dental device prototype delivers full-mouth anesthesia in 4 minutes with no needles and no pain. 50 - 80% of the population suffer from some form of dental anxiety. 60% avoid the dentist altogether for fear of needles. The introduction of a needless, painless, and highly effective solution for delivering anesthesia is a game-changer.
Initial clinical trials of Henley’s dental transdermal technology are scheduled for early 2023.
“We are currently utilizing anesthesia for approximately 15 – 20 children’s dental procedures per day. The most frequent and challenging issue we face on a daily basis is patient fear of needles,” says award-winning pediatric dentist Dr. Jason Parker. “The ability to administer local anesthesia without a needle would have monumentally positive impact in how we treat our patients and run our practice, as well as fundamentally changing their perception of visiting the dentist for the better all from an early age. Simply put, this is a game changer.”
In addition, the Henley Trauma Bandage is in development and leverages the patented multichannel iontophoresis platform to treat chronic and acute wounds by mitigating microbial colonization, which prevents infection and further tissue damage, and simultaneously help with local pain management from such wounds or burns. The bandage, once sealed around a wound and activated, can deliver antimicrobial, antiseptic, and clotting agents directly into the wound.
The trauma bandage has been designed to save the lives of America’s soldiers by extending the critical Gold Hour to Golden Days, providing time to get the soldier to a health facility. Rather than focusing on more logistical support to extract the wounded soldier, the Henley Trauma Bandage allows for immediate medical management at the time of injury.
“By bringing in HGMT’s transdermal patent portfolio, Henley Ion expands its mission of improving human health and saving lives,” says Henley CEO Skipper Bond. “Henley was founded with the development of our novel respiratory protection technology, and we are now collaborating with partners in the defense and PPE spaces to advance develop and deploy this technology to saves lives.”
Henley Ion’s respiratory protection technology uses miniaturized electrostatic precipitation (mEP) to remove aerosol particles from the airway, including viruses, bacteria, particulate matter and organophosphates, such as pesticides.
The technology is a fundamental change in respiratory protection, there is no filter, so it’s easier to breathe through, is bi-direction protection on both the inhalation and exhalation, is agnostic in terms of the aerosol particle it removes, and has the capability to allow the wearer to monitor his or her own respiratory protection. Existing filter based respirators give no indication whether they are working properly and offer respiratory resistance which make them cumbersome for extended periods of time.
In initial testing with Henley’s first prototype at a high-containment laboratory located at the Tulane University National Primate Research Center, the Henley Ion Virus Defender removed >99% of SARS-CoV-2 bioaerosols under rigorous Biosafety Level 3 testing conditions.
Chad J. Roy, PhD, Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Center for Airborne Infection & Transmission Science at the Tulane School of Medicine, led the laboratory testing. “The preliminary evaluation of this product’s ability to protect against airborne viruses like SARS-CoV-2 is encouraging,” said Roy. “Aerosol particle removal without the use of filtration represents a step change in respiratory protection technology.”
In April 2022, the medical journal Viruses, published a peer-reviewed paper validating Henley’s mEP technology.
Continuing evaluations are ongoing at the Tulane University National Primate Research Center under a cooperative research agreement between Henley Ion and Tulane University.
“Saving lives with new technology is our goal,” says Dr. Henley. “It is our mission as company and for me as doctor.”
