USPTO grants inhaler patent to Hovione

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a patent for a capsule-based dry powder inhaler (DPI) to Hovione. This happened less than three years after the patent was filed and after one office action.

This inhaler is designed to have just two operating components for ease of use with the patient performing two steps before inhaling. In terms of delivery performance, lung fractions in excess of 70% have been achieved, making this inhaler suitable for the treatment of most pulmonary diseases, including asthma and COPD as well as infection, which typically requires very large doses.

XCaps follows on the heels of another successful Hovione DPI, TwinCaps, which was developed for the delivery of the anti-viral drug for treating influenza Laninamivir and is now approved in Japan and marketed by licensee Daiichi-Sankyo as part of the company’s Inavir product. Hovione inhalers are offered for licensing, together with formulation and particle engineering services on a fee for service basis. The company has also developed a line of inhalation-grade APIs, including fluticasone, salmeterol, mometasone and tiotropium.

Peter Villax, vice-president and co-inventor of the device, said: “We give our customers an edge in speed of development because we are perhaps the only independent company developing DPIs with expertise in every aspect of the inhaled drug development process. Receiving this US patent grant within 30 months of initial filing underpins Hovione’s capabilities in innovation and intellectual property management, to successfully design, develop and deliver innovative products.”

Gonçalo Andrade, business development manager, added: “The XCaps addresses a gap for a simple, cost-effective, multiple-use, capsule-based inhalation device. This allows our business partners to take advantage of additional patent protection for their inhalation drug product and effective drug product lifecycle management.”

Hovione is currently executing inhaled drug development projects for five pharmaceutical companies, involving API process development, particle engineering, formulation and clinical supplies and is looking for partners willing to incorporate Hovione inhalers into their inhalation drug product development.       

Hovione, www.hovione.com/inhale.