Twins start firm to help allergy sufferers

It's user-centered design," said Evan Edwards, vice president of product development at Intelliject.

"We really started with the patient and worked our way backwards," he said. "A lot of companies don't really think about how, in the moment of truth, when [people] are actually having to use the injector, what are the scenarios involved."

In the hands of a babysitter or parent who has never used an epinephrine injector, for instance, precious seconds could be lost trying to figure it out, he said.

A month ago, Intelliject moved into the big leagues, announcing a multimillion licensing deal with pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis U.S., which will manufacture and market Intelliject's novel epinephrine injector.

"Evan and I are just a small part of that" deal coming to fruition, Eric Edwards said. "We really have been blessed with an extraordinary management team."

That team includes President and Chief Executive Officer T. Spencer Williamson IV, who has been with the firm since 2006; Vice Presidents Kristopher D. Ford, Ronald D. Gunn, Neil D. Hughes and Mark J. Licata; and Chief Financial Officer Christopher T. Schools.

Sanofi-Aventis U.S. is an affiliate of Sanofi-Aventis, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms, with annual sales worldwide of about $40 billion in 2008. Sanofi-Aventis' U.S. product lineup includes blockbuster medications such as the allergy drug Allegra, the sleep aid Ambien and the clot-buster Plavix.

The agreement with Sanofi-Aventis U.S. calls for $25 million up front to Intelliject. In addition, Intelliject is eligible for up to $205 million more over time as development and commercial milestones are reached, plus royalties on sales associated with the licensure.

In announcing the deal, Sanofi-Aventis' Brent Ragans said: "This agreement complements our strong presence in the U.S. as a leader in the allergy arena and is a great example of our company's transformation into a provider of health-care solutions."

Intelliject retains licensing and marketing rights for their auto-injector delivery system in the rest of the world and is shopping around for other partners.

"The $25 million is being used to invest in our business and to realize the potential of Intelliject's portfolio across a range of therapy areas," Eric Edwards said. "We have over 70 patents pending, issued or granted and have multiple other platforms that can be utilized with a variety of pharmaceuticals across many therapy areas."