According to Iconovo, Swedish immunotherapy developer Immune System Regulation (ISR) will pay up to 18.1 million Swedish kronor plus potential royalties for development of a dry powder COVID-19 vaccine delivered via Iconovo’s ICOone single dose DPI. The deal also includes an option for ISR to use the ICOone device for delivery of vaccines for other respiratory viruses, including influenza and RSV. Iconovo expects to be ready to initiate a clinical trial of the vaccine candidate in the second half of this year.
ISR CEO Ola Winqvist commented, “This is a very important step towards taking our inhaled COVID-19 vaccine to the market quickly with a suitable single-use inhaler. We believe that the product will be of greatest use in developing countries with restricted access to refrigeration and where the vaccination programs have not advanced yet. We also hope that an inhaled vaccine will give a more adequate immune reaction in the lung which is patrolled by another type of anti-body.”
Iconovo CEO Johan Wäborg said, “With this project Iconovo widens its experience within the new strategic area innovative inhalation projects, and we look forward to more similar projects where we can contribute with our inhalation experience. It sends a strong signal to the market that more companies see ICOone as a suitable inhaler for innovative applications. The potential for an innovation like this will be huge if it reaches the market. We believe that ICOone has the potential to replace injections of vaccines and other important molecules, thereby offering a smarter way to administer these pharmaceuticals. Iconovo is a global leader and wants to act as a driving force in this development.”
Read the Iconovo press release.
