Bayer BP acquires rights to new aerosol inhalation device

Bayer Biological Products (BP) has signed a deal with German drug delivery company Inamed, of Gemuenden, for exclusive use of its new advanced inhalation technology for the dosing of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protein, for which Bayer BP has an ongoing development programme. Currently, all commercially available AAT products must be administered intravenously.

Inamed (Intelligent Aerosol Medicine) specialises in aerosol technology and inhalation systems. It develops and markets highly efficient inhalers that allow dosing flexibility by controlling the patient's breathing pattern, thus, leveraging the full benefit of aerosolised drug applications.

The deal includes Inamed's new model of the AKITA, an inhalation device based on a computer-controlled inhalation system. The new AKITA is small and lightweight; highly efficient, resulting in less wasted product; delivers individualised and reproducible dosing tailored to each patient through smart card technology; and requires less time to inhale the prescribed dose. Under the terms of the deal, Bayer BP will have worldwide exclusive rights to the new AKITA device and any other products developed by Inamed based on the same technology for clinical development and marketing of its inhaled AAT products.

Early developmental work on the aerosolised plasma-derived AAT has begun. Research with the new AKITA device will include determinations of required doses and validation experiments required to register the device with regulatory authorities. Preclinical and toxicology studies are scheduled to begin in 2004.

'The AKITA technology represents a major advance in inhalation dosing,' said Bernhard Schaefer, vice president of global strategic marketing for Bayer BP. 'While we are excited about the opportunities this deal offers Bayer BP for developing our aerosolised AAT product, we are most pleased about the tremendous improvements in efficiency and patient convenience the device offers.'