Galway based firm Aerogen, which specialises in aerosol drug delivery, has announced details of a broad collaborative effort to support pharmaceutical companies from around the world as they work to develop Covid-19 vaccines and treatments.
To date, more than ten million patients globally have been treated safely and effectively with Aerogen's drug delivery technology, according to the company.
As the global scientific community rallies against the pandemic, Aerogen said there has been unprecedented interest in inhaled delivery of antiviral drugs.
It said their closed-circuit nebuliser technology is being used in hospitals across the globe to deliver aerosolised medication to critically-ill ventilated Covid-19 patients.
In March, the company formed a Covid response unit to support projects researching potential treatments and vaccines.
Aerogen said this response unit is now working with pharmaceutical companies worldwide to ensure safe delivery of inhaled therapies.
It said that several of these collaborations are already in clinical trials, with others on track to enter studies on moderately and severely ill Covid-19 patients over the weeks and months ahead.
In one such collaboration, Aerogen signed an agreement with Synairgen, a UK-based biotechnology company, to provide the Aerogen Solo/Ultra nebuliser system for delivery of SNG001 directly into the lungs of COVID-19 patients.
SNG001 is an inhaled interferon beta that stimulates the innate immune system.
The company said initial investigation of SNG001 as a potential Covid-19 treatment has been promising.
It said hospitalised patients receiving SNG001 were at reduced risk of developing severe disease and more than twice as likely to recover to the 'no limitation of activities' level on the ordinal scale over the course of treatment.
"Aerogen is a highly regarded global company known for providing safe and effective aerosol drug delivery," said Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen.
"Ensuring that SGN001 is paired with optimal delivery technology is a vital component of our work to bring this potential treatment to market at scale. Aerogen is our choice because of its proven reputation for drug delivery efficiency and reliability, suitability for use with a wide range of ventilatory support modalities, established high-volume manufacturing and prior regulatory approvals across the globe," he said.
"In the early days of the pandemic, hospitals were discouraged from using any type of aerosol for Covid-19 treatment – which is understandable given the nature of the virus," said John Power, CEO and Founder of Aerogen.
"Now, it’s clear to health systems worldwide that aerosol drug delivery can be done with improved safety but is an absolute necessity for managing this global crisis," he said.
