Inyx to develop combination-therapy inhaler with ozone-safe propellant to treat bronchial asthma

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Nov. 29 - Inyx, Inc. said Tuesday that its wholly owned subsidiary, Inyx Pharma Ltd., has been selected by a European pharmaceutical company to develop a combination between a corticosteroid and a beta-2-agonist in a single-metered dose inhaler, utilizing a non-ozone-depleting hydrofluoroalkane propellant.

Company officials did not name the European company that selected Inyx to develop the product, which is intended to treat bronchial asthma and other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as bronchitis and emphysema.

Inyx said it is initially developing test batches in different dosages for the client. This will be followed by stability testing, which is targeted for mid-2006. Commercial production is aimed for 2007, officials said in a company news release.

"Being able to deliver corticosteroid and beta-2-agonist in a single inhaler will not only mean added convenience, but also should provide cost savings to consumers because it eliminates the need for buying and carrying two separate inhalers, which should make this a strong competitive product," said Jack Kachkar, chairman and chief executive officer, in the release.

"By using a HFA propellant, our client will be able to market this combination therapy throughout Europe," added Kachkar.

The European Union has banned the use of the ozone-depleting CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) propellant in pharmaceutical products, and the United States is starting to implement this ban as well, officials said.

Corticosteroids are the most effective and widely used anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of bronchial asthma and other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as bronchitis and emphysema. They are often taken with short-acting or long-acting bronchodilators (beta-2-agonists) that are the primary rescue medicine used to treat asthma and other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases attacks, officials said. More and more physicians are prescribing for chronic asthma sufferers combination therapy as a regular drug regimen.

Inyx is a New York City specialty pharmaceutical company with drug-delivery technologies and products for the treatment of respiratory, allergy, dermatological, topical and cardiovascular conditions.

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