Email this page to a friendBusiness review – enabling technologies
Vectura has several important, patent-protected, enabling technology platforms. In addition to using these technologies to support its own product development programmes, Vectura's strategy is to out-license rights to the technologies to other pharmaceutical companies where the resulting licence will generate significant value and will not impact Vectura's own product development opportunities. Such agreements have already generated revenues from licensees whilst allowing Vectura to retain its focus on its own product development strategy.
Dry Powder Inhaled (DPI) formulation technology – including PowderHale®
The formulation of drugs for inhalation is more complex than for oral delivery and different approaches are required depending on the characteristics of the drug being delivered to the lung. Vectura's know-how, expertise and patents enable the development of patent-protected inhaled products.
Vectura's formulation technologies include PowderHale®, micronisation, blending and spray drying. PowderHale® is a patented DPI formulation technology, designed to allow aerosolised drug particles to achieve high lung deposition with low dose variability. This is achieved by the incorporation of an additional pharmacologically inactive excipient, known as a Force Control Agent (FCA), to the drug formulation.
GyroHaler® and OmniHaler® – "Passive" DPI devices
The GyroHaler® and OmniHaler® are novel, cost-effective, multi-unit dose DPI devices designed to deliver locally acting drugs to the lung. They are compact and easy to use with a small number of moulded parts, facilitating short device development times and competitive manufacturing costs. The devices may contain up to 60 doses and are disposable after use. They are designed to have competitive aerosolisation characteristics and to provide excellent drug protection from moisture and light using sealed foil blisters. Automated form/fill/seal machinery for producing the blister strips is available in Vectura's Chippenham facility.
GyroHaler® and OmniHaler® have the potential to deliver respiratory products in an efficient and patient-friendly manner.
Clickhaler® – multi-dose reservoir DPI
The Clickhaler® is a multi-dose, reservoir DPI. It is approved for use and marketed to treat asthma and COPD with a number of different drugs (salbutamol, beclometasone, formoterol, budesonide and procaterol) in a number of countries in Europe and in Japan.
Clickhaler® is inexpensive to produce and fill, and production is fully automated.
Duohaler® – fixed dual-therapy multi-dose reservoir DPI
The Duohaler® is a fixed dual-therapy, passive, multi-dose DPI. It has two separate drug reservoirs that feed two individual drug formulations to two separate metering chambers from which the drugs are delivered to the user in the same breath, avoiding co-formulation issues.
Aspirair® – "Active" DPI device technology
Aspirair® is a high-performance device, designed to deliver dry powdered drugs with high lung penetration and low dose variability. The device is conveniently sized, simple to use, and economical compared to other "active" inhalers. It is a multipleuse device using individual foil blisters.
Aspirair®, alone or in conjunction with appropriate formulation technologies, can be used to deliver to the deep lung efficiently and effectively. Aspirair® has the potential to deliver proteins and macromolecules.
Unit dose DPIs
Unit dose devices are being developed as re-useable or disposable single-dose dry powder inhalers. They are designed to be easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture and may be suitable for a wide range of conditions that require a rapid onset of effect or that are for occasional use.
©2009 Vectura Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008/09