Aptar Pharma will have 12 months to decide whether to exercise an exclusive option to acquire worldwide rights to Pharmaxis’s high payload Orbital dry powder inhaler under a new agreement, the company said. The Orbital DPI, which can deliver up to 400 mg of powder in divided doses, was designed for delivery of Pharmaxis’s Bronchitol inhaled mannitol, and Pharmaxis will retain the rights to delivery of mannitol by the inhaler. According to Aptar Pharma, the company “will evaluate the commercial applications for the Orbital device and further develop the prototype device to meet unmet market needs.”
Pharmaxis CEO Gary Phillips commented, “I am delighted with the forthcoming partnership with Aptar Pharma, who are one of the world’s foremost drug delivery device companies. In their hands, we hope to fully exploit the potential of the Orbital technology in other drugs and secure a return on the work we have already completed. The Orbital inhaler is an innovative new device that eliminates the need for manual reloading of multiple powder containing capsules needed for a single dose of drug. This can deliver improvements in the patient experience, compliance, market share and also effectively extend patent life of drugs that use the device.”
Aptar Pharma VP, Global Pulmonary Category, Howard Burnett said, “We are pleased to partner with Pharmaxis on this novel technology, which continues the development of Aptar Pharma’s industry-leading portfolio of devices for inhalation. Coupled with our broad Aptar Pharma Services offering, we will seek to expand the range of drugs administered by inhalation.”
In June 2019, Aptar Pharma acquired Nanopharm, which offers development services for DPIs and other OINDPs.
Read the Aptar Pharma press release.
