AFECTAIR may be an effective alternative to SoC for delivery of inhaled nitric oxide

Discovery Laboratories, Inc. (Nasdaq: DSCO) today released new data showing that use of AFECTAIR® resulted in as much as a 70 percent reduction in the amount of nitric oxide required to deliver the desired dose of the therapeutic gas when compared with current standard of care (SoC) (p < 0.001).  Nitric oxide is a costly medical gas frequently used for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in newborn infants.  AFECTAIR, the company's newest product candidate, has been developed by Discovery Labs to simplify the delivery of inhaled therapies for critical care patients requiring ventilatory support.  The new AFECTAIR data were presented at the 2011 Hot Topics in Neonatology Congress, an internationally recognized medical meeting dedicated to advancing the practice of neonatology.

"We are very pleased with the results of this study as it demonstrates that AFECTAIR has the potential to effectively deliver a medical gas directly to a critical care patient, while reducing the amount of medical gas needed to achieve a target dose," said Dr. Russell G. Clayton, Sr. Vice President, Research & Development. "Certain medical therapies, such as nitric oxide, can be significant cost drivers in the hospital and these data suggest that AFECTAIR may significantly reduce these costs through more efficient delivery of a given therapy."

Results from the study suggest that AFECTAIR may be an effective alternative to the SoC among ventilatory circuit devices used for the delivery of inhaled nitric oxide.  The investigators also commented that the results of this study support further investigation of AFECTAIR in the delivery of other costly medical gases using various methods of ventilation.

"These data reinforce our decision to introduce AFECTAIR, a product that exemplifies our commitment to advancing a new standard for respiratory critical care," said W. Thomas Amick, Discovery Labs Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, "AFECTAIR is an example of our company's innovative spirit and ability to identify potentially significant market opportunities as they emerge through our research and development efforts."