PARI Pharma’s Formulation Work and eFlow Featured in Corus Pharma’s Positive Phase II Trial Results

Marks Greater Headway in Drug/Device Matching

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, October 20, 2004 – Innovations in drug/device matching were evidenced with the recent results of Corus Pharma’s Phase II Clinical Trial for Corus 1020. The approach in this project was the development of an optimized drug formulation together with the customization of the device in a “system” approach. PARI Pharma conducted most of the drug formulation work for Corus 1020 after Corus Pharma licensed PARI’s eFlow®, an advanced electronic nebulizer that greatly increases the efficiency of inhalation treatments.

At the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference on Saturday, Corus Pharma announced positive Phase II trial results for aztreonam lysinate for inhalation, also known as Corus 1020, a mono bactam antibiotic. This inhalation treatment is intended to treat a broad spectrum of gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which commonly infect the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. Inhaled delivery increases the concentration of the drug at the site of infection as compared to intravenous administration.

”We are very happy to see the positive Phase II results for Corus 1020,” said Dr. Manfred Keller, Director of PARI Business Unit Pharma. “PARI Pharma is in a unique position to have the research capability to perform the formulation work including analytical and aerosol testing as well as providing the technological advancements on the device side. These skills combined are helping to improve drug development based on innovative technologies and bring medications to patients with treatment times that better suit their lives.”

Corus 1020 uses PARI Aerosol Research Institute’s eFlow, a portable electronic nebulizer platform that enables a very efficient aerosolization of liquid medications via a vibrating, perforated membrane. The eFlow platform can be customized to tailor the droplet size to optimize delivery of a distinct drug formulation. Compared to other nebulizer systems, eFlow can produce aerosols with a high density of active ingredients, a defined droplet size, and a high proportion of respirable droplets in a shorter amount of time. Its silent mode of operation, small size (it fits in the palm of your hand), light weight and battery use make this device extremely user-friendly.

About Cystic Fibrosis (CF)

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. One in 31 Americans (more than 10 million people) is an unknowing, symptomless carrier of the defective gene. CF causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs, obstructs the pancreas, and leads to life-threatening lung infections. According to the CF Foundation's National Patient Registry, the median age of survival for a person with CF is 33.4 years. As more advances have been made in the treatment of CF, the number of adults with CF has steadily grown. Today, nearly 40 percent of the CF population is age 18 and older.

About PARI Pharma

The PARI Pharma is a division of PARI GmbH focused on new aerosol delivery technology and pharmaceutical formulation development. Aerosol Research Institute core competencies include product development, engineering, aerosol testing, product manufacturing, and medication formulation development.

Because eFlow provides the potential for significantly reduced medication doses and treatment times, PARI Pharma is in the unique position of helping pharmaceutical companies develop innovative new medication formulations with customized drug-device matching. The potential for creating improved formulations, or new uses for approved active ingredients, is also greater with eFlow due to its innovative technology platform.

PARI GmbH, a privately held company founded in 1906, is considered the worldwide leader in aerosol delivery via efficient nebulizer systems. PARI products are well established in clinical trials for existing and new respiratory medications for COPD, asthma and cystic fibrosis. PARI products are available in over 70 countries worldwide.

Web site: http://www.pari.de

Additional information on eFlow is available by contacting Kirsten Ayars at 805-898-0567 or Geoff Hunziker at 408-892-2097.

» Back to Press Releases