What Oxford Phamascience does

Oxford Pharmascience Ltd is a UK-based specialty pharmaceutical company developing formulation technologies that re-engineer the release and absorption of established drug molecules. Its core asset is the OXPzero™ platform, a proprietary Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) chemistry in which anionic drug molecules are hosted within positively charged metal hydroxide layers, allowing engineered control of drug release and absorption as independent variables. The lead product, Oxprofen™, is the ibuprofen implementation of the platform and is designed to deliver a median Tmax of approximately 30 minutes in head-to-head human pharmacokinetic studies versus 40–45 minutes for fast-acting ibuprofen lysine, while remaining bioequivalent for AUC and Cmax. The platform architecture is being extended to naproxen, where bioequivalence to naproxen acid has been demonstrated, and is supported by granted and pending patents across major markets.

The company addresses unmet needs in mature NSAID categories by enabling intrinsic taste masking, controlled systemic exposure without elevated peak concentrations, and compatibility with multiple consumer-relevant dosage formats including orally disintegrating tablets, granules, drinks, chewables, hot drinks, and dispersible systems. It pursues both over-the-counter consumer-health applications and prescription acute-pain indications, leveraging established regulatory pathways — 505(b)(2) in the United States and Article 10(3) hybrid in the European Union — that bypass the need for new efficacy trials by relying on the existing safety profiles of ibuprofen and naproxen.

Oxford Pharmascience operates an asset-light, partnership-driven business model. Revenue is intended to be generated through licensing the OXPzero™ platform to pharmaceutical and consumer-health companies, which then handle manufacturing scale-up, regulatory filings in their own names, and downstream commercialisation. The company has historically demonstrated this model through the Ellactiva® soft-chew supplement line, originally launched in the United Kingdom and subsequently distributed in Hong Kong and the Middle East, and licensed to Aché Laborat\u00f3rios for sale in Brazil under its own brand with supply sourced from a Swiss manufacturing partner. As of September 2025, the company is in confidential discussions with several leading pharmaceutical companies to develop and commercialise the Oxprofen™ platform across prescription and OTC pain-relief markets, with API manufacturing economics confirmed at commercial scale.

Name

Oxford Phamascience

Legal name

Oxford Pharmascience Ltd

Website

https://oxfordpharmascience.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oxford Pharmascience is a UK specialty pharmaceutical company developing the proprietary OXPzero™ LDH-chemistry platform to re-engineer NSAID release and absorption, licensing it to pharmaceutical and consumer-health partners through an asset-light model. Its lead product, Oxprofen™, is a fast-acting taste-masked ibuprofen targeting OTC and prescription markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Pain Relief & Anti-Inflammatory (Analgesics) (HLAIADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

OTC Pain Relief & Fever (Analgesics, Anti-inflammatory, Topical Pain Relief) (CRADAMAC)

Keywords

• NSAID formulation platform
• Drug delivery technology
• Pain relief formulations
• Pharmaceutical licensing
• Specialty pharmaceuticals

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Partnership Revenue: Oxford PharmaScience generates revenue through licensing its proprietary OXPzero™ platform technology to pharmaceutical and consumer health companies. The company operates an asset-light model focused on platform development and regulatory enablement while partners handle commercialisation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Oxford Pharmascience develops and licenses the proprietary OXPzero™ platform, which uses Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) chemistry to re-engineer existing NSAIDs for faster onset, controlled systemic exposure, intrinsic taste masking, and compatibility with multiple dosage formats. The company licenses this platform and its NSAID implementations (Oxprofen™ for ibuprofen, naproxen extension) to pharmaceutical and consumer health partners for OTC and prescription markets, while also operating the Ellactiva® consumer soft-chew supplement line.

Product overview

Oxford PharmaScience operates a platform-based model centered on the OXPzero™ proprietary NSAID performance platform, which uses Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) chemistry to engineer drug release and absorption. The primary product is Oxprofen™, the ibuprofen implementation delivering rapid onset (Tmax ≈30 minutes) with controlled exposure, designed for both OTC and prescription acute pain markets via 505(b)(2) regulatory pathways. The platform is being extended to naproxen as a differentiated family of NSAIDs. Separately, the Ellactiva® sub-brand offers science-led soft-chew dietary supplements leveraging the company's formulation expertise for consumer health markets in the UK, Hong Kong, Middle East, and Brazil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ellactiva®: Science-led soft-chew supplements consumer-health line, launched originally in the UK and distributed internationally including Hong Kong, Middle East, and Brazil under license through Aché Laboratórios.
• OXPzero™
• Oxprofen™

Products and services

• OXPzero™ Platform Proprietary Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) chemistry platform that engineers control of NSAID release and absorption as independent variables, enabling rapid onset, controlled systemic exposure, intrinsic taste masking, and compatibility with ODTs, granules, drinks, chewables, and dispersible formats. Licensed to pharmaceutical and consumer health partners.
• Oxprofen™ Next-generation ibuprofen formulation implementing the OXPzero™ platform, delivering rapid onset (median Tmax ≈30 minutes) with controlled systemic exposure and bioequivalence for AUC and Cmax. Designed for OTC and prescription acute pain markets via the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway.
• OXPzero™ Naproxen Extension Naproxen implementation of the OXPzero™ platform in development, with human PK studies demonstrating bioequivalence to naproxen acid. Supports a differentiated family of NSAIDs under a single IP-protected formulation architecture.
• Ellactiva® Consumer-health soft-chew dietary supplement line developed using Oxford Pharmascience's formulation and delivery-system expertise. Combines taste with enhanced absorption in a soft-chew format. Originally launched in the UK, distributed in Hong Kong and the Middle East, and licensed in Brazil through Aché Laboratórios.

Quantifiable outcome

• Median Tmax approximately 30 minutes versus 40-45 minutes for fast-acting ibuprofen lysine in head-to-head PK study
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Confidential Pharmaceutical PartnersflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2025Oxford PharmaScience is in confidential discussions with several leading pharmaceutical companies to develop and commercialize the Oxprofen platform across prescription and over-the-counter pain-relief markets. API manufacturing economics have been confirmed at commercial scale and taste-masked ODT format developed.
• Aché LaboratórioscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAché Laboratórios, one of Brazil's leading pharmaceutical companies, holds a licence to sell Ellactiva® soft-chew supplement formulations in Brazil. The product is marketed under Aché's own brand, with supply sourced from Oxford's Swiss manufacturing partner.
• Swiss Manufacturing PartnercoreTechnology or IntegrationOxford PharmaScience sources supply for its Ellactiva® product (sold in Brazil by Aché Laboratórios) from a Swiss manufacturing partner, providing quality manufacturing and supply chain for the consumer health product line.
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxford PharmaScience was founded following research collaborations with the University of Oxford. The company built on early licensed IP from Oxford and has since developed its own proprietary intellectual property portfolio supporting the OXPzero™ platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hyloris Pharmaceuticals: Belgian specialty pharma that reformulates established drugs using proprietary delivery technology and partners out commercialization, often via hybrid/505(b)(2)-style pathways. Highly comparable platform-play model with a focus on improved versions of off-patent molecules.
• Collegium Pharmaceutical: Specialty pharma focused on differentiated pain products (abuse-deterrent opioids). Comparable as a pain-focused specialty pharma that builds differentiated formulations of established analgesics for both Rx and OTC-switch lifecycles.
• Neos Therapeutics: Specialty pharma (now part of Aytu BioPharma) that uses proprietary drug-delivery technology to develop differentiated, patient-friendly formulations of established CNS drugs. Comparable as a small-cap reformulation platform targeting consumer-relevant format benefits.
• Aquestive Therapeutics: Specialty pharma with a proprietary drug-delivery platform (PharmFilm, etc.) that licenses/partnerizes differentiated formulations of established molecules. Closely comparable to Oxford's asset-light model of licensing a proprietary formulation technology to commercial partners.
• Harrow Health: Specialty pharma that acquires, reformulates, and commercializes established pharmaceutical products. Comparable as a small-cap platform acquiring or developing differentiated formulations of established molecules for niche/commercial channels.
• BioDelivery Sciences International: Pain-focused specialty pharma using proprietary drug-delivery technologies (e.g., BEMA) to differentiate established analgesics. Comparable as a delivery-tech-enabled pain franchise built around reformulation of established molecules.
• Adare Pharmaceuticals: Drug delivery and formulation platform developing differentiated, patient-friendly versions of established molecules via proprietary technologies. Comparable as a technology-driven reformulation specialist with consumer-relevant dosage-format capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Perrigo Company: Large global OTC and generic pharma platform with major share in OTC analgesics including ibuprofen. Comparable as the dominant incumbent that any differentiated OTC NSAID must displace on shelf, and as a potential commercial partner/competitor.
• Catalent: Global CDMO/drug-delivery services company with formulation capabilities spanning oral, ODT, and taste-masking technologies. Comparable as a broader incumbent whose formulation services could either compete with or enable Oxford's OXPzero platform.
• Bausch Health: Large diversified specialty pharma with a substantial OTC consumer-health business (Bausch + Lomb). Comparable as a broad incumbent in OTC pain/consumer health that could be a partner or competitive threat for differentiated NSAID formats.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oxford-pharmascience-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oxford Phamascience