Jun 15 2012
Impel NeuroPharma, a medical device company developing a novel drug
delivery device that enables drugs to bypass the blood-brain barrier
(BBB) using direct nose-to-brain delivery, today announced a set of
important milestones in its drive to commercialize its POD technology.
The key milestones announced today are:
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Successful first-in-human pilot study of the POD technology,
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Three (3) collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies to
pursue applications of the POD technology in three different CNS
therapeutic applications, and
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Award of a Small Business Investigational Research (SBIR) grant from
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Drug
Abuse to evaluate a first-in-class biologic analgesic.
The results of the first-in-human study using the POD technology will be
discussed at the 2012 BIO International Convention in Boston, MA on June
18-21. The study showed a 2:1 overall preference for the POD technology
over conventional nasal spray devices. "This is an encouraging result
which indicates the POD technology can be easily utilized in clinical
research and incorporated into commercial drug-device combination
products," said John Hoekman, PhD, Impel NeuroPharma's Chief Scientific
Officer. "We have designed the POD device with the end user in mind. We
want to ensure it is easy to use for both patients and clinical
investigators."
The collaborations announced today are the direct result of Impel
NeuroPharma's focus on incorporating its drug delivery technology into
meaningful therapeutic initiatives of pharmaceutical companies. One of
Impel NeuroPharma's current collaborations is designed to demonstrate
the effectiveness of the POD technology in humans. Results from this
human study will be presented this fall.
"We are extremely pleased by the response of the pharmaceutical industry
to our inventive nose-to-brain delivery technology. These collaborations
validate Impel NeuroPharma's technology in a wide range of therapeutic
indications and CNS agents. Our goal is to collaborate with
pharmaceutical companies who have CNS agents that can benefit from
nose-to-brain delivery. Our next wave of projects will continue to
broaden the range of therapeutic applications in which we can provide
the greatest impact," stated Michael Hite, Impel NeuroPharma's Chief
Executive Officer.