Device developer Iconovo has received an order worth up to 4.9 million Swedish kronor from Immune System Regulation (ISR) for an intranasal version of Iconovo’s ICOone single dose DPI, the company said. In March 2021, Iconovo announced that it had received an order from ISR for development of the ICOone device for a COVID-19 vaccine. The addition of the nasal version is an extension of that previous order, which included an option for ISR to the ICOone device for additional vaccines targeted at respiratory viruses, including flu, RSV, and other coronaviruses.
Iconovo will develop the intranasal version of the COVID-19 vaccine in the ICOone nasal device and will manufacture materials for a Phase 1 clinical trial, which will take place prior to any clinical trial of ISR’s inhaled COVID-19 vaccine. According to Iconovo, ISR has decided to develop the nasal version of the COVID-19 vaccine first in order to accelerate the project because clinical development will be faster than for an inhaled vaccine. The company said, “This COVID-19 vaccine, with administration to the nasal cavity, is meant to be a fast track that can either lead to a separate registration or it could pave the way for an orally inhaled vaccine for administration to the lung. The new nasal vaccine will be developed by Iconovo in the new platform ICOone Nasal.”
ISR CEO Ola Winqvist said, “The platform of ICOone with its flexibility enables a rapid, affordable and effective development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for the respiratory tract. The platform can make ISR’s vaccine available on the global market shortly after conducting clinical studies. The collaboration is now deepening and broadened to include both nasal and lung administration, which we see as a great advantage, as different respiratory pathogens may have different entry ports in the airways. We see the collaboration with Iconovo as a long-term partnership with the aim of establishing a series of different vaccines.”
Iconovo CEO Johan Wäborg commented, “This order provides a great opportunity to evaluate the new platform ICOone Nasal in a clinical study for COVID-19. We give the project the highest priority to support ISR in their efforts to advance the project according to the aggressive timelines required during a pandemic. This project could be the start of a paradigm shift that opens the door to inhaled vaccines instead of injectable vaccines. A shift where Iconovo is well positioned to take the lead.”
Read the Iconovo press release.
