Koura has officially opened a new facility for the production of HFA 152a in Runcorn, UK, the company announced. According to Koura, the propellant produced at the facility, which will be marketed as “Zephex 152a,” will be available at commercial scale within a few months.
In December 2019, Italian pharma company Chiesi said that it had signed an agreement with Koura as part of an effort to bring an HFA 152a MDI to market by the end of 2025, and in June 2020, Koura announced a “multimillion-pound sterling investment” in the new cGMP facility to meet demand for the lower global warming potential (GWP) MDI propellant.
Koura President Gregg Smith commented, “This is a significant step forward in bringing our sustainable, greener medical propellant HFA 152a to the market. The opening of this facility is part of a series of strategic investments that will deliver secure supply of low GWP propellant to meet regulatory and commercial needs of our customers ahead of low GWP pMDI launches expected during 2025. 2022 is an exciting year for HFA 152a and the pMDI market, with a number of key milestones being met.”
Chiesi Chief Commercial Officer Alessandro Chiesi said, “Patients should not have to consider the burden of environmental responsibility when choosing treatment options that impact their health. We are proud to supply both pMDI and DPI inhalers and to have taken decisive and ambitious action to ensure patients can continue to access the inhaler options that best suit their needs, whilst innovating to find the most environmentally conscious solution available.”
Read the Koura press release.
