The new formulation, detailed in a patent published last week, is a stable salt combining a long acting beta 2 agonist and a corticosteroid in a 1:50 ratio that was created using Prosonix’ multicomponent particle technology.
CEO David Hipkiss told in-Pharmatechnologist that the project is “an application of the UMAX technology to a very challenging combination,” adding that the new formulation patent references the UK firms existing IP.
"This new published patent represents a potential paradigm shift in the way combination inhalation therapies are designed and delivered by first intent, and offers tremendous potential advantages in terms of compliance, convenience and biological effect."
The Chiesi projects is, according to Hipkiss, further evidence of the high level of pharmaceutical industry interested the UMAX platform has attracted since its launch in March.
“On the inhalation front presently we are working with eight Originators, two device led specialist pharmaceutical firms and a number of select generic companies.”
He also suggested UMAX would be a good fit for Prosonix’ recently agreed collaboration with Trimel, particularly because drug particles covered by that deal “have to work really very hard in the very simple Trivair device.”
In-house generic development
News of the new patented LABA/ICS formulation comes at a time of considerable business expansion for the UK-based pharmaceutical particle engineering specialist.
Hipkiss explained that: “Prosonix strategy in engineered respiratory products is as a minimum to supply the engineered API. We have already established a number of manufacturing partnerships to do this.
“Recently, some of our clients have asked us to provide and end-end solution to deliver a fully packaged product to them and I am pleased to say that we can now offer this option too.
And beyond this, Hipkiss revealed that Prosonix: “is undertaking some own product development, supporting our strategic objectives in providing the key to unlocking the huge potential of Generic Respiratory medicine.”