Capsugel and Pulmatrix link up to develop novel inhaled therapeutics
Capsugel will manufacture clinical trial and commercial batches of iSPERSE-based candidates being developed by Pulmatrix
Capsugel and Pulmatrix will work together to develop novel inhaled therapeutics to treat serious pulmonary diseases.
As part of the agreement between the two firms Capsugel has gained exclusive rights to manufacture clinical trial and commercial batches of iSPERSE-based inhaled therapeutic candidates being developed by Pulmatrix and its potential development partners.
Capsugel will combine its spray drying process development, scale-up expertise and commercial manufacturing capabilities at its Bend Research facility in Bend, Oregon, US with Pulmatrix's iSPERSE (inhaled small particles easily respirable and emitted) technology.
Dan Dobry, Head of Alliance Strategy at Bend Research, a division of Capsugel Dosage Form Solutions, said the partnership with Pulmatrix puts the companies at the forefront of bringing unique inhalation products to the market to deliver better patient outcomes.
'We look forward to working with Pulmatrix to help advance its pipeline of proprietary and partnered products utilising our spray dry technology and infrastructure, and to jointly explore opportunities to collaborate with the broader pharmaceutical industry to develop next-generation inhalation therapies,' he said.
Pulmatrix's iSPERSE dry powder technology is a small, dense and dispersible engineered particle technology that enables pulmonary delivery of drugs with high delivery efficiency, dose reproducibility and flow-rate independence. Several products leveraging tthis technology are in development, including a lead clinical stage bronchodilator (PUR0200) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inhaled anti-fungal (PUR1900) for cystic fibrosis (CF) and a pipeline of products for use in the treatment of rare pulmonary diseases, CF and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
'This collaboration provides us with access to Capsugel's spray dry technology, scale-up capabilities, and state-of-the-art equipment to support our growing pipeline of internal and partnered development programmes,' said Pulmatrix CEO Robert Clarke.
Initially, Capsugel will fulfil manufacturing needs for Pulmatrix's planned clinical trial activities in cystic fibrosis and, longer term, will enable the firm to manufacture iSPERSE-based products at commercial scale.
