Cygnus Therapeutic Systems announced Tuesday that anelectrically enhanced drug delivery system in early-stagedevelopment has been shown to have applications in thedelivery of peptide-based therapeutics, the treatment of solidmass tumors and in non-invasive glucose monitoring.

The transport technology, called electroporation, uses pulsedelectrical fields to enhance the permeability of human tissue ina highly controlled and reversible manner, the Redwood City,Calif., company (NASDAQ:CYGN) said at the H&Q conference.

Electroporation combined with very low doses of chemotherapyhas resulted in substantial reduction in the size and rate ofgrowth of solid mass tumors, said Gregory B. Lawless, Cygnus'chief executive officer. The increased permeability of thetumor, made possible by electroporation, allows the drug topermeate the target tissue more effectively, with the relatedbenefits of reduced toxicity and side effects, he said.

While commercialization of electroporation will requireadditional development, including preclinical and clinicaltesting, Cygnus said it intends to pursue its development bothinternally and through collaborations for oncology, peptidedelivery and non-invasive glucose monitoring.

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