Pulmatrix Receives U.S. Patent for its Inhaled Bronchodilator COPD Therapy PUR0200

Pulmatrix has received a key U.S. patent for its lead inhaled drug candidate PUR0200 to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The drug, still under development in the United States and Europe, is a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) bronchodilator. Thanks to Pulmatrix’s iSPERSE technology, PUR0200 can reportedly achieve the same effect as the marketed product at 20 percent of the dose administered.

iSPERSE stands for “inhaled Small Particles Easily Respirable and Emitted,” and is engineered to be small, dense and easily dispersed. PUR0200 combines the iSPERSE platform with tiotropium bromide – the active ingredient in Spiriva, a known inhaled drug.

The problem with current inhaled products is that much of the dose gets stuck in the mouth or throat, reducing its effectiveness in the lungs. PUR0200 resolves this by creating a dry powder and a delivery system that sends it more easily into the lungs, as seen in this animated video.

Clinical trials of PUR0200 have demonstrated that the drug is well-tolerated and can significantly improve lung function in all doses tested when compared to placebo, and was similar to tiotropium therapy at 18 mcg. Tiotropium bromide is the active ingredient in Spiriva, which enjoyed 2016 global sales of about €3 billion.

“This patent ensures that the product is protected by intellectual property until 2033,” Pulmatrix CEO Robert W. Clarke said in a press release. “It also is further recognition of the potential medical advances offered by our innovative iSPERSE technology for delivering drugs to the lungs more efficiently.”

The patent (US 9642798) follows an earlier patent granted in Japan in 2016 (JP 5877204) for PUR0200 and several broader U.S. patents that protect Pulmatrix’s technology platform and its use under various conditions. In March 2017, Pulmatrix — headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts — also received an important patent from the European Union (EU) for its iSPERSE technology (EP 2410981 B1), in what Clarke called “another step forward to bringing PUR0200 to market.”