Reduce development costs with an innovative inhaler partner
We bring inhalation expertise to your business
In any pharmaceutical development project, cost-efficiency is crucial. It is important to have an overview of all steps of the process and not to overlook any challenges that might occur during the development. In the development of complex products, such as inhaled pharmaceutical products, standardized processes improves cost-efficiency and prevents that important steps in the process are overlooked, when planning the project.
Development of inhalation devices requires both a device technology platform and formulation expertise. Iconovo has a standardized processes for development of inhaled products, both for novel and generic pharmaceuticals.
There are many other conditions where inhalation can be the administration method of choice but for most innovative companies, inhouse development of a new inhaler platform is beyond expertise and budget.
Taking a pill is of course easier than an injection or infusion but oral treatment has slower onset and there is a risk of side effects to the whole body. Also, there are a number of products that cannot be taken orally, as they are degraded in the gastrointestinal tract. An alternative option for pharmaceutical administration is inhalation. The drug reaches the respiratory system instantly, without affecting other parts of the body. Inhalation is also convenient to use instead if subcutaneous injections, when a quick onset of the drug is wanted, for example insulin when treating diabetes. Biological pharmaceuticals that must otherwise be given as an injection, as they are destroyed in the intestinal tract before absorption, can also be inhaled, if the inhalation device is designed for large enough doses.
Roger Lassing is VP Business Development of Iconovo has worked with inhaled pharmaceuticals for 10+ years. He works in close collaboration with the clients at Iconovo:
How can Iconovo´s process reduce the development cost, compared to inhouse development?
– Iconovo has already developed four inhaler platforms that only have to be adapted to the new dry powder formulation. Iconovo currently has 9 development projects under development meaning that we know what needs to be adapted to quickly deliver a good inhalation product. Our formulation experts knows both carrier-based and spary-dried formulations and what challenges they entail.
Do you have capacities to manufacture material for clinical trials?
– Yes. Iconovo owns injection-molding tools for all our inhalers at small scale. Iconovo is now also investing in a solution, where equipment is placed at a GMP-compliant CMO, to be able to manufacture a dry powder inhaler product at GMP standard that can go into the customer’s phase 1 clinical trial. Standardized processes will also facilitate technology transfer to the customer’s production facility for scale up.
Read this white paper from Dr Orest Lastow, M.Sc. in Engineering Physics and a Licentiate of Engineering degree in Aerosol Science from Lund University and Ph.D. in electrohydrodynamic atomization from Brunel University. His expertise is device development, electrostatics, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), aerosol science and inhalation technology.
Download white paper –
Why are inhalation devices so difficult to develop?
