Capsugel and Pulmatrix, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, have formed a collaboration to develop inhaled therapeutics to treat serious pulmonary diseases. The agreement provides Capsugel exclusive rights to manufacture clinical trial and commercial batches of iSPERSE-based inhaled therapeutic candidates being developed by Pulmatrix and its potential development partners. Capsugel will combine its spray-drying process development, scale-up expertise and commercial manufacturing capabilities at its Bend Research facility in Bend, Oregon. with Pulmatrix's iSPERSE (inhaled small particles easily respirable and emitted) technology.

Pulmatrix's iSPERSE dry-powder technology is a small, dense, and dispersible engineered particle technology that enables pulmonary delivery of drugs. Several products leveraging the iSPERSE platform are in development, including a lead clinical-stage bronchodilator (PUR0200) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inhaled anti-fungal (PUR1900) for cystic fibrosis (CF), and a pipeline of products for use in the treatment of rare pulmonary disease, CF, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Capsugel has made recent investments in its spray-drying capabilities and capacity. In June 2015, Capsugel completed a two-year, more than $25 million investment to expand Bend Research's spray-drying commercial manufacturing facility. Capsugel is also investing to expand its late-stage inhalation offering to include full cGMP analytical services and large-scale encapsulation for dry-powder inhaler applications.

Source:Capsugel