Inhaled drug developer Pulmatrix announced that it has licensed a portfolio of kinase inhibitors from Janssen Biotech subsidiary RespiVert that it plans to develop as inhaled therapies for respiratory diseases. According to a form filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Pulmatrix will pay $1 million up front plus milestones ranging from $1-80 million and royalties of 6-10% on sales of licensed products.
Pulmatrix CEO Robert Clarke said, “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 (COPD), asthma, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). They are also perfectly suited for formulation with our iSPERSE technology.”
Imperial College London Professor Peter J. Barnes commented, “Kinase inhibitors could be a very promising step forward for treating COPD and severe asthma. 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.”
In 2016, Pulmatrix announced that it was partnering with Capsugel for development of DPIs based on Pulmatrix’s iSPERSE dry powder technology. Earlier this year, Pulmatrix’s PUR1900 itraconazole DPI for the treatment of pulmonary aspergillus infections in CF patients received Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation from the FDA
Read the Pulmatrix press release.
