Aerogen and Lyomark Pharma said today that they inked a deal to develop an inhaled surfactant treatment for respiratory distress syndrome in pre-term infants.
The pact calls for the duo to combine a compound called AP-002, a nasally inhaled surfactant based on a combination of Lyomark’s Alveofact bovine lung surfactant and Aerogen’s PDAP nasal delivery technology. Aerogen will develop the drug-device combo and the companies will cooperate on commercialization and distribution, they said.
Aerogen also said it’s launching a Phase II study of AP-002 compared with standard invasive surfactant treatment in pre-term infants with RDS symptoms, with results slated for mid-2018.
“We are grateful to the dedicated Australian medical teams involved in our first clinical investigation of AP-002, which has the potential to be a major advance in the care of these precious and highly vulnerable patients,” Aerogen GM Andy Clark said in prepared remarks.
“While surfactant therapy saves lives, today’s invasive methods of administration are often associated with adverse side effects that limit its use. We believe that Lyomark’s drug and Aerogen’s delivery system, in combination, will uniquely benefit patients by avoiding these complications and limitations,” added Lyomark managing director Malik Malocho.
In October the company touted results from a study showing a 32% reduction in hospital admissions when patients were treated using its Solo vibrating mesh aerosol drug delivery system, compared to a small-volume nebulizer.
The Chicago-based company’s vibrating mesh is used to treat respiratory disorders such as COPD, asthma, or influenza, all of which are exacerbated in the winter season. The study’s results were presented at the American Assn. of Respiratory Care in San Antonio and the American College of Emergency Physicians in Las Vegas.