SĀPH™ technology is a self assembling peptidyl hydrogel, comprised of an amphiphilic, multidomain peptide (MDP) that serves as both a controlled, drug delivery platform, as well as a key basal component for new drug development. SĀPH™ preparations are designed using MDPs with alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids, which under physiological conditions self-assemble into nanofibrous 3-dimensional macromolecular structures capable of incorporating dissimilar compounds for both rapid and sustained delivery options. MDP sequences can be further tailored to include moieties for promoting cell adhesion or used in conjunction with additional delivery products e.g., liposomes to provide multicomponent delivery systems.
SĀPH technology offers several advantages over current drug delivery products for generic drugs, including the delivery of small or large molecules (biologics, and drugs), minimizing side effects due to improved localization, and providing sustained delivery options without the need for repeated administration.
Peptides designed for SĀPH can also be covalently modified to exhibit unique bioactive elements (e.g, receptor binding or enzymatic activity domains), such that it forms the basis for new drug molecule development. Matrx is pursuing use of new SĀPH-derived drugs for several therapeutic areas including peripheral artery disease and diabetic retinopathy.