Pulmatrix Issued European Patent for iSPERSE Inhaled Drug Technology

Pulmatrix was granted an important patent from the European Union (EU) for its proprietary iSPERSE technology, a platform for inhaled drug delivery based on unique properties developed for the treatment of lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“This new patent shows our continued ability to obtain patents that protect our unique iSPERSE inhaled drug technology — and that also reflect the advances we are making in drug delivery,” Robert W. Clarke, PhD, CEO of Pulmatrix, said in a press release. “It gives us a strong intellectual property protection position in Europe as we move forward with our drug candidates for COPD, fungal infections, and other diseases.”

The new EU patent (EP 2410981 B1) follows similar patents granted to Pulmatrix in the United States and Japan.

The company’s iSPERSE technology was granted two patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2015, covering the composition of matter for iSPERSE, as well as methods for treating patients with COPD and other lung diseases using respirable dry powders.

Pulmatrix is a clinical stage biopharma focused on the development of innovative inhaled therapies to address serious pulmonary diseases. The company designed its proprietary iSPERSE technology to develop dry inhaled therapies.

iSPERSE stands for “inhaled Small Particles Easily Respirable and Emitted,” and it is based on particles engineered to be small, dense and easily dispersed. These are designed to solve the limitations of conventional inhaler technologies.

The iSPERSE technology is based on a dry powder delivery platform seeking to optimize the delivery of therapeutic agents directly to the lungs by maximizing local concentrations and reducing systemic side effects. In addition, the technology can deliver higher doses of drugs — and many more different types of drugs — than existing methods.

The company’s pipeline includes products like PUR0200, a branded generic in clinical development for COPD; PUR1900, an inhaled antifungal that could potentially benefit patients with asthma and cystic fibrosis; and PUR1500, an investigational drug developed for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

“This new patent means that we are now protected from competitors copying our advances in Europe as well as in the United States,” Clarke added.