Pulmatrix (NSDQ:PULM) said today that it inked an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Janssen Biotech subsidiary RespiVert.
According to the deal, Pulmatrix will have access to the company’s portfolio of novel kinase inhibitors. The agreement covers respiratory and oncology indications for the drug candidates and Pulmatrix said it plans to take over the portfolio’s global development and commercialization activities.
Kinase inhibitors can be used to treat diseases that involve hyperactive protein kinases, including cancer.
“We believe these innovative compounds licensed from RespiVert Ltd. will offer a new approach for treating lung inflammation in diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” Pulmatrix CEO Robert Clarke said in prepared remarks. “They are also perfectly suited for formulation with our iSperse technology.”
The company’s iSperse platform includes a dry powder that enables drugs attached to the particles to be delivered to a patient’s lungs with high efficiency. The powder can work with almost any class of drug, including small molecules and biologics, according to Pulmatrix.
“Kinase inhibitors could be a very promising step forward for treating COPD and severe asthma,” Peter Barnes, head of respiratory medicine at Imperial College, said. “Coupled with the innovative iSperse technology to facilitate delivery to the site of disease within the lung, Pulmatrix is poised to improve the available therapeutic landscape for these patients in need.”
Pulmatrix is also developing inhaled therapies for COPD and fungal infections.
“These new compounds will significantly expand what we believe is already an impressive pipeline of drug candidates,” Clarke added. “Because these compounds have already been explored in a Phase I program, we envision that we will be able to quickly move to clinical proof-of-concept studies.”
