Huntsville, AL, October 21, 2008
CFD Research Corporation has signed an exclusive license and joint development agreement for its patented spacer technology for respiratory drug delivery. The license is with Cogenesis Biotech, a subsidiary of California-based Actis Biologics, which is focused on respiratory therapeutics.
Increasing numbers of children and seniors require inhalation therapy for asthma, and other pulmonary diseases. Metered Dose Inhalers (MDIs) which dispense aerosolized drugs continue to be the delivery vehicle of choice. Spacers are bottle like chambers that can be attached to an inhaler that reduces aerosolized drug droplet size and enables deep lung penetration for better therapeutic effect. This also reduces the number of larger droplets that deposit in the upper airways, get swallowed, and contribute to adverse side effects.
The CFDRC spacer features a novel aerodynamic shape and airflow inlets that create beneficial airflow patterns for maximal drug delivery and minimal deposition. The collapsible design allows for easier handling and storage. CFDRC used sophisticated modeling techniques to gain insight into the impact of spacer design on drug delivery. Their studies led to a counter-intuitive, radically altered design of spacers that exhibited dramatically superior performance. Compared to currently available MDI inhaler spacers, the CFDRC spacer provides:
- Less drug loss on spacer walls,
- More respirable dose for delivery deep into lungs
- Compact size for storage/portability
The CFDRC team, led by Dr. Shankar Sundaram, developed the technology under a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant. B. Prabhakarpandian, V. Makhijani and A. Przekwas were co-inventors of the spacer at CFDRC, which was granted a U.S. patentnumber 7,107,987.
“Actis Biologics will soon be seeking approval from the US FDA and expect an approval within a year. The technology will be marketed globally by Cogenesis, the Malaysia-based subsidiary of Actis Biologics,” said Mr. P. N. Venugopalan, President, Actis Biologics. Commenting on the spacer technology, Mr. Gyan Sharma CEO of Cogenesis Biotech remarked, “This spacer is designed optimally for the new class of propellants and delivers about 40% more drug to the patient than from other leading spacers available in the market. The design also ensures minimal particle deposition on the surface of the spacer, thereby greatly reducing the chances of any future fungal infection,” said Mr. Sharma.
“We are very excited by this alliance with Cogenesis Biotech and look forward to our joint efforts in bringing the real benefit of better delivery with this device to patients worldwide”, said lead inventor, Dr. Shankar Sundaram. “This is an excellent example of CFDRC’s mission of developing technology-driven solutions for some of the world’s most critical problems, particularly in medical care,” said CFDRC’s President & CEO, Dr. Ashok Singhal. “We are excited about the commercial prospects of the spacer and look forward to working with Cogenesis Biotech in bringing this technology to market.”
About CFDRC:
CFDRC is a leader in engineering simulations and innovative designs. It provides innovative solutions for aerospace and defense, biomedical and life sciences and emerging technologies. CFDRC is located in Huntsville, Alabama, and has been serving federal agencies and global businesses since 1987. (www.cfdrc.com)
Presently, CFDRC has over 35 patents (awarded or pending), and works with industry partners for their adaptation and applications. Contact: Dr. Vincent J. Harrand, Vice President, for Technology Commercialization (vjh@cfdrc.com ).
About Actis Biologics
Actis Biologics is a Biotech Venture Technology company focusing on the life science sector
Actis Biologics acquires promising technologies and incubates them under the umbrella of its technology incubator company in Malaysia called Actis Biologics Malaysia. Cogenesis Biotech, is a subsidiary of Actis Biologics Malaysia and is located in Melaka. Cogenesis Biotech develops technologies to meet the needs of the respiratory therapeutic segment.
