South Carolina-based Zylo Therapeutics creates spinoff company

Listen to this article

Greenville-based Zylö Therapeutics has created a spinoff company to market its trademarked Z-pod topical delivery platform in the pharmaceutical industry.

Atticus Pharma Inc. is initially focused on the joint development agreement with Yuva Biosciences, where Atticus has the worldwide, exclusive rights to YuvaBio’s Y20, a terminalia chebula extract for the treatment of alopecia-related conditions and for wound-healing, according to a news release.

The Z-pod delivery technology, licensed from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, is based on silica-derived particles — called Z-pods, the release stated. Zylö can embed an active ingredient of choice into these particles, thereby providing sustained delivery that nourishes/treats the skin for 24-plus hours, the release stated, as opposed to the bolus effect — without Z-pods — that typically results in only 30-60 minutes of effect. The Z-pods also provide enhanced delivery to hair follicles, perfect for treating alopecia and certain follicular disorders.

“By focusing on the biopharma applications of the Z-pod drug-delivery platform, Atticus can be a real force in the topical drug arena and can drive significant value for its shareholders,” Scott Pancoast, founder and CEO of Zylö Therapeutics and executive chairman of Atticus, said in the release.

Related: Greenville company innovates next-gen drug delivery technology

Related: Check out Q&As with SC Biz News’ 2024 Manufacturing Power List honorees

The YuvaBio technology is based on innovative mitochondrial biogenesis, the release stated. The YuvaBio scientists — global thought leaders in mitochondrial dysfunction — authored a seminal paper, Reversing wrinkled skin and hair loss in mice by restoring mitochondrial function, which was published in one of the Nature publications, Cell Death & Disease. YuvaBio then combined its mitochondrial expertise with artificial intelligence to screen about 15,000 compounds to determine which compounds restored mitochondrial function the most.

Based on a battery of studies, embedding these compounds into Z-pods demonstrated a durable and lasting effect of up to 24 hours versus an extraordinarily short-term effect without the Z-pods, the release stated.

This data — combined with a human study showing 80-plus% success after 90 days using Y100-loaded Z-pods — led to the BosleyMD’s product launch of Revive+ Hair Densifying Foam, now in CVS, Walmart, Ulta Beauty, Rite-Aid, Kroger, and Meijer, the release stated. “Powered by Z-pods” was included on the packaging.

YuvaBio will continue to market Y100-loaded Z-pods in the cosmetic vertical, while Atticus focuses on Y200-loaded Z-pods — with perhaps higher concentration levels and enhanced formulation — in the pharmaceutical vertical, the release stated.

Beyond this initial focus on Y200-loaded Z-pods, Atticus is looking to in-license other programs, either from Zylö or from other biopharma entities, according to the release.