Inhaled drug CDMO Vectura has entered into an agreement with the Monash University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) for early development of an oxytocin DPI for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage, the company said. Vectura will develop a single use inhaler for Phase 1 clinical trials on a fee-for-service basis; a commercial manufacturer would be expected to take over production of the device prior to Phase 3 development.
Monash announced positive results from a Phase 1 study of dry powder oxytocin in 2017. In March 2019, Janssen announced that it had partnered with MIPS, taking over sponsorship of the oxytocin DPI research from GSK which had signed a previous development agreement with MIPS in 2014.
Vectura CEO Will Downie said, “Reformulation of oxytocin to an inhaled dry powder has many advantages for this drug and application. It will be easy to administer for patients, and, being inhaled, will have a rapid onset of action. Working with Monash University and its partners, we look forward to providing Vectura’s deep expertise in this space to address this important global health issue, potentially preventing thousands of deaths each year.”
Monash Professor Michelle McIntosh commented, “Post-partum hemorrhage is a significant and challenging global health issue so we are very excited to be working with Vectura on a low cost, heat stable and non-invasive approach to deliver oxytocin, overcoming existing limitations of current injection products.”
Read the Vectura press release.
