WOMEN having infertility treatment could benefit from a £70m deal between an Oxford science firm and a Swiss drug company, writes MAGGIE HARTFORD.

The deal was announced as Powderject, based at Oxford Science Park, issued a share offer to raise £52m on the stock market to develop three painless injections for flu, Hepatitis B and diptheria/tetanus.

Powderject will develop five potential treatments for Swiss biotechnology company Ares-Serono so that the drugs can be injected painlessly with the company's device - a plastic 'gun' using helium gas to propel drugs in powder form through the skin at ultrasonic speeds.

The two companies are not revealing what the five treatments are, but Powderject chief executive Paul Drayson told the Oxford Mail: "Infertility treatment is a good example, which can involve over 30 injections and as you can imagine is very painful."

Ares-Serono, a world leader in infertility treatment, also focuses on growth disorders, wasting diseases and multiple sclerosis. It will pay Powderject £6.7m upfront, and if the research is successful further payments could total more than £60m over three years, plus royalties.

The Ares-Serono deal leaves Powderject with £32m cash - enough to fund its current research pipeline of potential vaccines and drugs. It wants the extra £52m because it has decided to take the risk of developing them itself, instead of finding larger drug companies to take them to market.

Inventor Brian Bellhouse, an Oxford University professor, became a millionaire when Powderject floated on the stock market.

The Powderject device is not expected to be on sale for two years.

Story date: Friday 12 February

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