The capsule-maker and dosage forms services company announced this week it will exclusively manufacture clinical trial and commercial batches of novel inhaled candidates being developed by Boston, Massachusetts-based Pulmatrix, to treat pulmonary diseases with.
Capsugel will combine its spray drying process development with Pulmatrix’s iSPERSE (inhaled small particles easily respirable and emitted) platform - a small, dense and dispersible engineered particle technology which enables pulmonary delivery of drugs.
“Through this partnership, our two companies will be at the forefront of bringing unique inhalation products from conception to market to deliver better patient outcomes,” Amit Patel, President of Capsugel’s Dosage Form Solutions business told in-Pharmatechnologist.com.
Pulmatrix has several products in its pipeline using its tech, the lead being a clinical stage bronchodilator (PUR0200) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The work will be carried out at Capsugel’s facility in Bend, Oregon which last year completed the manufacture of its first inhalation delivery therapy for a Phase II project.
Financial details of the deal have not been divulged.
Capsugel’s transformation
Capsugel became a standalone entity in 2011 when private equity firm KKR bought Pfizer’s capsule unit for $2.4bn.
At the time of the sale, Capsugel was primarily a hard capsule provider, but since then the firm has grown both organically and through the acquisitions of Encap, Bend, and – last December – Xcelience and Powdersize.
“Our collaboration with Pulmatrix represents yet another step in this ongoing transformation,” said Patel.
“We have further strengthened our leadership in hard capsules while also significantly broadening our capabilities with a comprehensive suite of technologies and integrated solutions for designing, developing and manufacturing a wide range of finished dosage forms.
“These broader capabilities span a range of applications, including bioavailability enhancement, modified release, micro-dosing and clinical trials services, and bio-formulation and bio-processing.”