Deal to develop inhaled antibiotic
California-based companies Chiron Corporation and Inhale have entered into a collaboration agreement to develop a next-generation inhaled, dry powder tobramycin product for the treatment of pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients. Until now, tobramycin has been available only in injectable form. This new deal offers the prospect of better patient compliance for tobramycin treatment, shown to improve lung function and reduce the frequency and length of hospital stays.
Under the terms of the collaboration, Inhale will be responsible for development of the formulation, as well as clinical and commercial manufacturing of the drug formulation and device combination. Chiron will undertake the clinical development and worldwide commercialisation of the system. Inhale's pulmonary delivery platform technology, Inhance, enables delivery of macromolecules and small molecules to the deep lung via inhalation.
'Inhaled tobramycin is the first application of our Inhance pulmonary delivery technology to inhaled antibiotics for treatment of lung infections,' said Ajit Gill, president and ceo of Inhale.
The companies are exploring other inhaled antibiotics for lung infections. 'We believe Inhance could expedite development of our next-generation inhaled anti-infective products,' said Craig Wheeler, president of Chiron's BioPharmaceuticals division.