Aptar Pharma is collaborating with Macquarie University in a partnership that will see the drug delivery specialist and Australian institution investigate formulation approaches designed to support the pulmonary delivery of biologic medicines.
The centrepiece of the collaboration is Aptar’s Orbital, a dry powder inhaler platform designed for the delivery of high-payload dry powder formulations.
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Throughout the three-year partnership, researchers will evaluate how formulation variables influence aerosol performance when delivered using Orbital, with an aim to generate new insights into the interplay between formulation design and device performance, the entities stated.
Research indicates the unique physiology of the pulmonary system, which is characterised by a vast surface area and proximity to the systemic circulation, offers advantages for therapeutics that require rapid absorption. As such, research into pulmonary delivery for agents such as biologics is on the rise.
By assessing engineered, blended and combined dry powder formulations to understand how formulation characteristics influence aerosol behaviour and device performance, Aptar and Macquarie’s project will result in the generation of data that they anticipate will support the development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to provide further insight into aerosol behaviour and particle transport.
“Biologic medicines represent a promising area of pharmaceutical development, yet significant challenges remain in translating their potential into effective inhaled therapies,” explained Guillaume Brouet, Aptar’s vice president of scientific affairs.
“By combining academic and industry expertise, this programme will help advance scientific understanding of high-dose dry powder delivery and support the development of future inhaled biologic medicines,” Brouet continued.
Aptar’s collaboration with Macquarie follows its announcement of a partnership with Aceso Therapeutics earlier this month. Under the arrangement, Aptar will support the French biotech in advancing the development of ACT-101 – an inhalable antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed to treat the underlying disease mechanisms of cystic fibrosis (CF).
Via Nanopharm, Aptar’s specialist inhalation development services business, the company will support formulation development and device assessment activities to support Aceso’s clinical development roadmap for ACT-101.
