US pharmaceutical company OPKO Health has announced that it will acquire Israeli device company Inspiro Medical whose only product is the Inspiromatic dry powder inhaler. In June 2013, Inspiro announced positive results from a study of the device used to deliver formoterol.
OPKO CEO and Chairman Phillip Frost said, “We are pleased to add this next generation inhaler to OPKO’s growing product portfolio. We expect this innovative device to play a valuable role in the improvement of therapy for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases. We plan to use the Inspiromatic device to test the inhaled form of OPKO’s new sulfated disaccharide drug against these disorders.”
Frost continued, “This drug product is still undergoing pre-clinical testing prior to submission of an IND, but animal data indicates safety and efficacy for both inhaled and orally delivered forms. Of course, we believe that Inspiromatic can improve outcomes of treatment with other drugs, those presently available in more ‘standard’ type inhalers, as well as new inhalation drugs being developed. This acquisition fits our strategy of developing new products that address large markets in need of more effective therapeutic solutions.”
Inspiro CEO and co-founder Nimrod Kaufmann commented, “We are extremely proud of Inspiro’s success in bringing our smart Inspiromatic respiratory drug-delivery device to market. With Inspiro now a part of OPKO, we will be able to help more people faster. Inspiro joining OPKO is a big win for the shareholders of both Inspiro and OPKO, as well as good news for our patients and physicians.”
Read the OPKO press release.
