Ireland’s newly established national centre for research & innovation in pharma and biopharma, Rinn* Pharma & Biopharma, is collaborating with University College Cork (UCC) spin-out, ArrayPatch Ltd, to develop a novel skin cancer treatment.
The collaboration – being led by ArrayPatch founder Dr Waleed Faisal and UCC Professor of Pharmaceutics, Professor Abina Crean – will focus on using ArrayPatch’s patented dissolvable microneedle platform, DerMap, to deliver targeted local treatment for skin cancer.
DerMap is a pain-free microneedle patch about the size of a small coin. Upon application, DerMap penetrates the outer layer of skin and starts to dissolve and release medication. The technology is being advanced across a growing pipeline, including applications in metabolic disorders, weight loss, infections, and cancer.
Unlike traditional creams, which often fail to penetrate effectively, or oral treatments that require high doses and can cause side effects, microneedles create tiny, painless pathways that enable targeted, efficient drug delivery directly at the site of disease. By delivering treatment locally, the novel DerMap‑V technology has the potential to improve effectiveness while minimising side effects. The project is advancing the prototype through preclinical studies to support progression to streamlined clinical trials to confirm safety and effectiveness.
Welcoming the collaboration, Dr Waleed Faisal, Founder of ArrayPatch, said: “This collaboration with Rinn Pharma & Biopharma represents a major step forward for ArrayPatch. DerMap‑V has the potential to address a long-standing unmet need in dermatology by enabling targeted, localised drug delivery directly into the skin. Working with Rinn Pharma & Biopharma allows us to rigorously characterise the technology and accelerate its progression towards clinical evaluation.”
Prof Crean, lead academic collaborator at UCC, commented: “The company’s evolution from university-based research to an industry-focused biotech enterprise demonstrates how technologies can successfully translate into patient-focused solutions through strategic partnerships. This collaboration reflects growing confidence in the scientific robustness and translational potential of the technology, and provides access to world-class expertise in pharmaceutical characterisation, preclinical development, and clinical readiness.”
Rinn Pharma & Biopharma is one of the seven research and innovation centres that form the Rinn Network, which was launched in June 2026. Rinn Pharma & Biopharma proposes a transdisciplinary research programme focussing on two core challenges in drug development. The first is the creation of patient-centred medicines that meet the needs of diverse patient groups, including the development and manufacture of advanced formulations that improve drug effectiveness, acceptability, and dosing. The second is the integration of sustainability into all stages of drug development and manufacturing, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of pharmaceutical processes across synthesis, bioprocessing and formulation.
Prof Damien Thompson, Scientific Director at Rinn Pharma & Biopharma, said: “Supporting the translation of innovative research into real-world impact is central to Rinn Pharma & Biopharma’s mission. Our partnership with ArrayPatch and UCC highlights how collaboration between academic researchers and emerging Irish biotech companies can accelerate the development of novel therapies with the potential to improve patient outcomes.”
*Rinn is the Irish word for a point, tip or headland.
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