Hovione has announced that its licensee Daiichi Sankyo has informed that it intends to use Hovione's TwinCaps dry powder inhaler device in the launch of the compound CS-8958, an inhaled long-acting neuraminidase inhibitor active against the influenza virus.
Daiichi Sankyo has completed patient enrolment for Phase III clinical trials in Japan and other Asian countries and results are expected to be released mid year, including data to confirm the device switching. TwinCaps(R) was specifically developed by Hovione for the indication and licensed to Daiichi Sankyo and Biota Holdings Ltd (Victoria, Australia).
The announcement follows the recent publication(1) of data indicating that the compound is as effective as Relenza(R) and Tamiflu(R) against various influenza strains. Significantly this efficacy is achieved with a single dose, as opposed to a treatment over five days for the established drugs.
A 20 mg dose of CS-8958 is inhaled from powder compartments in the TwinCaps(R) inhaler, which is made of just two plastic parts. Hovione believes this is currently the simplest inhaler being tested in clinical trials and once approved, will be the simplest in the market and have the lowest cost of goods. TwinCaps(R) has no moving parts to deaggregate the dose of powder and only requires a low inspiratory airflow to achieve optimal delivery to the lung. This means that children and the elderly will find it easier to inhale the full dose.