Foam, sweet foam. There isn’t anything quite like foam for skin treatments. It gets the job done, without the stickiness and mess generally associated with creams, lotions, ointments and gels

Foams are also easy to use, easily spread and absorbed, and leave the skin hydrated and nourished. It’s not a great surprise that foam could become the topical formulation of choice for consumers and pharmaceutical companies alike.

Foamix, a small privately held company in Israel, is currently surfing the foam wave to success. The company’s technology base and business model services both the development of in house signature products as well as the new and existing lines of dermatologically active formulations of its respective partners.

CEO Dr Dov Tamarkin, COO Mr Meir Eini and Chief Technology Officer Dr Doron Friedman founded Foamix, headquartered in Ness Ziona, Israel, in 2003.

The company employs 22 people and has 22 patents pending, including two recently granted in the US. Impressively, in its first year of business, the company signed two major international co-development deals and since has generated additional partnership agreements, in the fields of dermatology, women’s health and consumer skincare products.

Foamix provides the foam technology; the partner provides the drug or cosmetic active. This winning formula provides a lucrative opportunity for both Foamix and its partners—in the US alone, the dermatology market exceeds $10 billion.

“Our message to pharma is: you provide the active, and we’ll provide the complementary foam. Our widely applicable technology will make your product that much more enticing to the consumer and medical communities, and will generate revenues far and above the exact same active sold as a cream or an ointment. It’s as simple as that,” said Mr Eini.

The Foamix pipeline of products includes a foam for just about every active and can facilitate both insoluble as well soluble drugs and cosmetics products for both medical and personal care.

“Foamix adheres to a high standard of quality for all of its products. In addition, all of the foams coupled with new drug actives are tested and developed in strict accordance with FDA guidelines,” said Dr Tamarkin.

In line with its business model, Foamix is also developing its own line of products for cosmetic and medical applications. For starters, the Company has just completed a clinical trial with its proprietary anti-lice foam, which demonstrated more than 96% efficacy. This is good news for the vast number of children and parents, who suffer from common and habitual outbreaks of pediculosis.

The potential market of this product exceeds $100 million. Foamix is also currently engaged in additional clinical studies, including a Phase II clinical trial of a betamethasone foam for the treatment of psoriasis, a destructive dermatological disorder characterized by the scarring and flaking of the skin.

Dr Doron Friedman, CTO of the company, explained more about the formulation of the foam. “We have tailored the foam to be most suitable for psoriasis therapy. The foam vehicle is emulsion based; it contains skin protective and refatting agents, which are extremely important for successful treatment of these patients.”

Another foam product is also under development with a leading pharmaceutical company for atopic dermatitis, an inflammatory skin disorder generally associated with children. Foamix’s CEO Dr Dov Tamarkin is confident children will accept the concept of foam well. “Foam is a much better treatment method for children, who can be very sensitive to having creams and ointments rubbed into their skin because they find them painful. Because Foamix foams dissolve and absorb into the skin immediately upon application, they do not sting or hurt. And, because Foamix foam is stable, meaning it won’t dissolve until it is directly applied to the skin, parents will have an easier time treating a naturally apprehensive child,” said Dr Tamarkin.

Foamix is also interested in building up its range of cosmeceuticals. The cosmeceutical market is a huge one and Foamix intends to be a major player. It is currently developing foam products to reduce cellulite ($1.6 billion market), and wrinkles (a more than $4 billion market). Also evolving in production is a specialist skin-whitening product, which the company plans to launch in Asia (an approximately $2 billion market).

Foamix is in a strong position: it is one of only two companies developing foam-based dermatological products and is the only one of the two with technology available for license by interested pharma and manufacturers. The company currently collaborates with a series of pharmaceutical companies, and its development capabilities range from initial development of foam formulations to scale-up, GMP manufacturing and clinical supplies.

In certain cases, Foamix takes the lead and can manage the full development program from start to finish. According to Dr Tamarkin, the company, which is operating cash positive, plans to sign additional licensing agreements in the very near future. Resulting profits will be committed to further development of the Foamix product lines. Foamix has intentions to issue an IPO in the next year or two. This is a company to watch.

Foamix pipeline

Details at http://pharmalicensing.com/company/dispcompany/4698

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