Aradigm lands NIH grant for inhaled, liposomal products

Aradigm Corp. (NSDQ:ARDM) said today that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the NIH awarded the company a grant to study the treatment of pulmonary non-tuberculous mycobacteria infections with Aradigm’s inhaled liposomal ciprofloxacin products, Linhaliq and Lipoquin.

The two-year grant is worth approximately $972,000, according to the Hayward, Calif.-based company.

The Phase II grant comes on the heels of a Phase I grant, which found that Linhaliq and Lipoquin are effective against M. avium complex and M. abscessus infection. The Phase II grant is slated to focus on combination therapies, since the treatment of mycobacterial infections conventionally includes multiple antibiotics.

For M. avium complex infection, researchers plan to assess the efficacy of Linhaliq and Lipoquin in combination with clarithromycin, ethambutol and amikacin. For M. abscessus infection, Linhaliq and Lipoquin will be combined with linezolid and imipenem.

The company reported that it will also investigate the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

“Pulmonary infections with non-tuberculous mycobacteria have become a serious growing public health problem in the U.S. and many other countries as they can result in debilitating lung disease and are costly to treat,” Luiz Bermudez, from Oregon State University, said in prepared remarks. “We have shown that lung-delivered liposomal ciprofloxacin is effective in in vitro and animal models of NTM without causing the emergence of resistant NTM. Patients with NTM at present typically have to use several antibiotics to avoid the emergence of resistance. This NIH grant is important as it enables us to compare the benefits of lung-delivered liposomal ciprofloxacin alone or in combination with other antibiotics.”

“Bronchiectasis and chronic lung infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and NTM are frequent co-morbidities. It is our goal to deliver a much needed new treatment for these patients with severe lung diseases,” principal investigator James Blanchard added.

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