LEXINGTON, Mass., July 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pulmatrix, Inc. (NASDAQ: PULM), a pharmaceutical company developing innovative inhaled drugs, today announced that Chief Executive Officer Robert Clarke, PhD, has described advances in inhaled drug delivery in an interview with News Medical, an online medical information provider.
"Delivering drugs to the lungs via inhalation has a number of potential advantages over traditional routes of administration like pills or injections," Dr. Clarke explained to News Medical. To treat lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), inhalation can deliver drug doses to the lungs where the drugs are needed while minimizing side effects. In addition, the large surface area of the lungs allows high doses of drugs to be delivered to the bloodstream, much like an intravenous injection.
Traditional approaches for delivering inhaled drugs, however, have been "limited by the types of drugs that can be used, doses that can be delivered, and suboptimal delivery efficiency," Dr. Clarke said. That's why companies have been developing innovative new approaches for solving these problems by seeking to improve the efficiency and versatility of inhaled drug delivery.
In one of those new approaches, Pulmatrix has developed a novel dry powder that 'flies' easily into the lungs. Named iSPERSE, in initial testing, the technology demonstrated four advantages, Dr. Clarke explained:
- It can deliver three times more drug per inhalation than traditional technologies.
- It is easy to breathe in, so patients with compromised lung function can get the doses they need.
- It can deliver very high doses when needed.
- It can deliver virtually any type of drug, including large proteins and antibodies.
The iSPERSE technology has the potential to enable Pulmatrix to tackle serious unmet medical needs—such as treating fungal infections in the lungs, Dr. Clarke explained. The company is also developing improved products for COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and other diseases. While these diseases "have been served by inhaled drugs for decades, [there] are very large patient populations that still have significant unmet needs," Dr. Clarke said.
As a result, "we think inhaled drug delivery will continue to grow as an approach for treating diseases," said Dr. Clarke. "We look forward to being at the forefront of engineering these approaches, starting with our current pipeline."
About Pulmatrix
Pulmatrix is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative inhaled therapies to address serious pulmonary disease using its patented iSPERSE™ technology. The company's proprietary product pipeline is focused on advancing treatments for lung diseases, including opportunities in major pulmonary diseases through collaborations, like PUR0200, a branded generic in clinical development for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and PUR1900, an inhaled antifungal that could benefit severe asthmatics and patients with rare disease like cystic fibrosis. Pulmatrix's product candidates are based on iSPERSE™, its proprietary dry powder delivery platform, which seeks to improve therapeutic delivery to the lungs by maximizing local concentrations and reducing systemic side effects to improve patient outcomes.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this press release that are forward-looking and not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company cautions that such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may materially affect the Company's results of operations. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including but not limited to the ability to establish that potential products are efficacious or safe in preclinical or clinical trials; the ability to establish or maintain collaborations on the development of therapeutic candidates; the ability to obtain appropriate or necessary governmental approvals to market potential products; the ability to obtain future funding for developmental products and working capital and to obtain such funding on commercially reasonable terms; the Company's ability to manufacture product candidates on a commercial scale or in collaborations with third parties; changes in the size and nature of competitors; the ability to retain key executives and scientists; and the ability to secure and enforce legal rights related to the Company's products, including patent protection. A discussion of these and other factors, including risks and uncertainties with respect to the Company, is set forth in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2016. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Investor Contact
Robert Clarke, CEO
(781) 357-2333
rclarke@pulmatrix.com
William Duke, CFO
(781) 357-2333
wduke@pulmatrix.com
Chris Brinzey, Westwicke Partners
(339) 970-2843
IR@pulmatrix.com
Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8RgU8YUtjo&feature=youtu.be
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150616/223308LOGO
SOURCE Pulmatrix, Inc.
