Vectura, Inspira Pharmaceuticals Team Up to Develop Potential Inhaled COVID-19 Treatment

Inhalation contract development and manufacturing organization, Vectura, and UK-based company focused on developing therapies for respiratory and infectious diseases, Inspira Pharmaceuticals, have joined forces to develop a potential inhaled therapy for COVID-19.

As per the agreement, the companies will develop an inhaled formulation of Inspira’s lead drug candidate from its proprietary IPX formulations for the potential treatment of COVID-19. Inspira’s IPX formulations are based on processed and purified extracts from a plant source that contain proteolytic enzymes, which have been shown to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus in vitro.

Feasibility studies have been undertaken on Inspira’s inhaled IPX formulation candidates by Vectura with positive results so far. Through this new agreement, Vectura will perform further testing and development work at its Chippenham (UK) facility to prepare for Phase I clinical studies of IPX formulations delivered directly to the lungs via Vectura’s FOX vibrating mesh nebulizer.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Vectura, a company with a strong track record in the successful development of pharmaceuticals for respiratory indications. Leveraging Vectura’s expertise and network, Inspira is well placed to accelerate the development of our novel IPX formulations for pulmonary delivery,” said Rory McGoldrick, CEO of Inspira, in a May 6, 2021 press release. “As we move from pandemic to endemic COVID-19, it will be ever more important to have new treatments that are cost effective, easy to distribute and easy to administer. We are targeting a treatment that has the potential to be effective at the early phase of infection, to minimize the risk of hospitalization and reduce the need for ventilatory support in intensive care. We hope that our human clinical trials of IPX formulations will prove as successful as our initial laboratory studies.”

“The work we have carried out to date for Inspira demonstrates the potential to develop a highly-effective treatment for COVID-19, and our initial studies show that Vectura’s FOX nebulizer platform offers an extremely efficient delivery method,” added Mark Bridgewater, Vectura’s chief commercial officer, in the press release. “We are excited to continue supporting Inspira on this lead program, combining our expertise in formulation and device development with this innovative research.”

Source: Vectura