Inhalation CDMO Vectura has signed an agreement with Inspira Pharmaceuticals to develop an inhaled formulation of a plant extract Inspira is developing for the treatment of COVID-19, the company said. Vectura will create a version of the IPX formulation to be delivered via Vectura’s Fox vibrating mesh nebulizer for Phase 1 trials. Inspira is looking to raise £350,000 on a crowdfunding site for development of the inhaled formulation; and according to the company’s pitch video on that site, its goal is to enter Phase 1 trials by the end of 2021.
Inspira CEO Rory McGoldrick said, “We are delighted to have partnered with Vectura, a company with a strong track record in the successful development of pharmaceuticals for respiratory indications. Leveraging Vectura’s expertise and network, Inspira is well placed to accelerate the development of our novel IPX formulations for pulmonary delivery. As we move from pandemic to endemic COVID-19 it will be ever more important to have new treatments that are cost effective, easy to distribute and easy to administer. We are targeting a treatment that has the potential to be effective at the early phase of infection, to minimize the risk of hospitalization and reduce the need for ventilatory support in intensive care. We hope that our human clinical trials of IPX formulations will prove as successful as our initial laboratory studies.”
Vectura Chief Commercial Officer Mark Bridgewater commented, “The work carried out by Inspira demonstrates the potential to develop a highly-effective treatment for COVID-19, and our initial studies show that our FOX nebulizer offers an extremely efficient delivery method. We are excited to continue supporting Inspira on this lead program’s development towards the clinic, combining our expertise of formulation and device development with Inspira’s innovative research to add to the treatments available to manage this global pandemic disease.”
Read the Vectura press release.
