The inhaled and nasal drug specialist Bespak has announced that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with the CDMO Upperton to provide an integrated pathway for the development and manufacture of nasal drug-device combination products using Bespak’s expanded proprietary device portfolio.
The pair stated that interest in nasal delivery is growing, particularly for systemic CNS and nose-to-brain therapies.
This is because drugs administered in this format can bypass the blood-brain barrier via olfactory and trigeminal pathways.
The delivery method also allows for systemic drug absorption while avoiding the metabolic drawbacks of oral administration, such as hepatic first-pass degradation.
Developers, however, face challenges aligning formulation, device and manufacturing suppliers throughout development.
The new collaboration merges Bespak's expertise in nasal device design and commercial supply with Upperton's formulation development and clinical manufacturing, providing customers with a streamlined process from early assessment to commercial manufacturing.
The new offering will support liquid, soft mist and dry powder formulations within Bespak’s expanded portfolio of nasal devices.
By combining formulation and device expertise early, the companies said that they will aim to simplify development, improve efficiency and accelerate the progression of nasal drug products to clinical trials and commercial distribution.
Chris Hirst, CEO of Bespak, said: “Nasal drug delivery is an exciting and rapidly evolving area, particularly as developers explore new opportunities for systemic delivery of CNS therapies and innovative nose-to-brain applications."
"However, successful development requires formulation, device and manufacturing strategies to work together from the outset."
Our collaboration with Upperton adds highly complementary formulation and analytical expertise to our expanded nasal device portfolio, giving customers a more integrated development pathway.
"By considering the formulation and device as one combination product from an early stage, we can help customers navigate development more efficiently and build a stronger foundation for clinical and commercial success.”
Nikki Whitfield, CEO of Upperton, added: “Successful nasal drug product development depends on a detailed understanding of the interaction between formulation, device and manufacturing requirements."
By combining Upperton’s formulation, analytical and clinical manufacturing expertise with Bespak’s device engineering and commercialisation capabilities, we can provide customers with coordinated support across the development journey.
“Bringing our specialists together around each programme will help customers make critical development decisions earlier and provide a clearer pathway from development and clinical supply towards commercialisation.”
