According to Genoa Pharmaceuticals, a pre-clinical study conducted at McMaster University demonstrated that the company’s GP-101 inhaled pirfenidone demonstrated statistically significant greater anti-fibrotic effect in an in vivo model of pulmonary fibrosisi than did higher doses of oral pirfenidone. Genoa said that it would present data at an upcoming pulmonary fibrosis meeting.
Martin Kolb, McMaster Associate Professor in the Division of Respirology and Research Director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health explained, “The efficacy of inhaled pirfenidone on improving outcomes in the animal model is quite remarkable. We observed stronger anti-fibrotic effects than with oral pirfenidone, notably at an equivalent tissue level, suggesting the compound reaches important tissue compartments better if administered by inhalation. Considering the resultant systemic dose was just a fraction of that seen following oral delivery, one would expect fewer adverse effects with inhaled GP-101, which would most likely improve patient compliance. This result certainly warrants further clinical evaluation of inhaled GP-101 in IPF patients.”
Genoa Founder, President, and Chief Scientific Officer Mark Surber commented, “Genoa is very excited about these findings and the potential for inhaled GP-101 to benefit IPF patients. For IPF treatment to be successful, sufficient drug must first be delivered to the lung. Although the oral dose size is large, because swallowed pirfenidone spreads throughout the body before reaching the lung the resulting delivered lung dose is quite small. As inhalation delivery administers pirfenidone directly to the lung, a significant increase is achieved with only a very small inhaled dose. By this route of administration, it is further anticipated that patient compliance will also improve.”
Read the Genoa press release.
