NMS Forms Subsidiary for Transdermal Drugs : ORANGE COUNTY

NMS Pharmaceuticals Inc. is forming a subsidiary to develop and market a series of transdermal drugs--drugs applied through the skin--for persons suffering from nerve disorders and heart and other cardiovascular diseases.

The new company, Synchem International Inc., is expected to be incorporated “any day” as a wholly owned subsidiary of NMS, said Joseph Irani, president of the Newport Beach biotechnology company. Synchem, Irani said, will operate out of the NMS plant and will take one to two years to develop transdermal patches, which contain drugs and a compound that enables the medicines to be absorbed through the skin. A similar transdermal patch--not made by NMS--already is used to apply medication to prevent sea sickness.

The drugs to be used in the patches developed by Synchem will be anti-depressant, anti-psychotic and anti-inflammatory drugs, Irani said.