ALZET Osmotic Pumps – A Brief History
ALZET Osmotic Pumps were developed during the 1970’s by ALZA Corporation. They were initially developed for use during internal company research, and for use by some of ALZA’s collaborators working at academic institutions. It did not take long for the word to spread about the existence of a novel drug delivery system that allowed for continuous administration of test agents into laboratory animals. The increasing demand for a commercially available continuous drug delivery device for animal research led to the introduction of ALZET pumps into the marketplace in 1977.
In April of 2000, the ALZET product line was acquired by DURECT Corporation. DURECT Corporation was founded in 1998 by several individuals, including Dr. Felix Theeuwes, an inventor of the ALZET pump and formerly Chief Scientist and President of Research and Development at ALZA. DURECT’s mission is to develop therapies that will improve the quality of life for patients with chronic, debilitating diseases and conditions. To accomplish this goal, DURECT offers a broad range of innovative drug delivery systems that are an essential element to any new controlled-release drug product. DURECT offers sustained release technology platforms that provide delivery of therapeutic candidates from days to years based on the specific therapeutic needs.
Additional information about DURECT and our various drug delivery platforms can be found at www.durect.com.