LISBON, Portugal, June 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
Hovione announced today the international filing of its latest
patent covering a new, highly efficient dry powder inhaler (DPI),
XCaps.
XCaps fills a void in the pulmonary inhalation market, as a
device which combines high efficiency in powder dispersion with
ease of use. Lung fractions in excess of 70% have been achieved,
from a device which only requires two steps to inhalation and which
only has two components plus a dust cover. This makes XCaps highly
suited for inhalation applications where minimal training of
patients is desirable and has the versatility to treat almost all
pulmonary diseases, including asthma, COPD and infection.
XCaps follows on the heels of another successful Hovione DPI,
TwinCaps®, which was developed specifically for an influenza
application and is licensed to Daiichi Sankyo and Biota for this
application. Daiichi Sankyo launched Inavir® in the Japanese market
in October 2010 and monthly sales in Japan of this
TwinCaps®-delivered neuraminidase inhibitor since then have
surpassed those of Roche's Tamiflu® (1, 2).
Hovione is offering XCaps in optional conjunction with its drug
product development program, allowing potential licensees to take
their candidate drugs from the API stage all the way to the unit
dose, under one roof. "We give our customers an edge in speed
of development because we are perhaps the only independent company
developing DPIs with expertise in every aspect of the inhaled drug
development process", said Peter Villax, Vice-President and
co-inventor of the device.
Phil Nelson, Business Development Manager, said "Hovione has
wide-ranging expertise in the field of inhalation products. With
our core API process development and manufacturing expertise, we
can manufacture pharmaceutical ingredients where the final
crystallization step produces pulmonary delivery-friendly
particles. Alternatively, we can use other particle formulation
technologies, such as spray-drying and we are currently pioneering
new particle technologies for stable, large dose delivery." Hovione
is currently executing inhaled drug development projects for 5
pharmaceutical companies, involving API process development,
particle engineering, formulation and clinical supplies.
About Hovione. Hovione is an international company with
over 50 years' experience in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient
development and compliant manufacture. With four FDA inspected
sites in the U.S., China, Ireland, and Portugal, the company
focuses on the most demanding customers, in the most regulated
markets. The company also offers integrated API, particle design
and formulation development and manufacturing. In the inhalation
area, Hovione is the only independent company offering such a broad
range of services.
More about XCaps at http://www.hovione.com/inhale
Sources:
-
http://www.biota.com.au/uploaded/154/1021733_76openbriefing-ceoonoutlo.pdf
- FY2010 Consolidated Financial Overview, Chugai Pharmaceutical
Co. Ltd., February 2, 2011
Contacts at Hovione:
Phil Nelson, PhD
Isabel Pina
Business Development
Manager Corporate
Communications
pnelson@hovione.com ipina@hovione.com
+351-219-847-619
+351-21-982-9362
http://www.hovione.com