Aptar Pharma Acquires Worldwide License for Orbital™ Dry Powder Inhaler

Aptar Pharma, a global leader in drug delivery and active material science solutions and services, has acquired the worldwide rights to clinical stage drug developer Pharmaxis’ proprietary Orbital^™ inhaler, a device designed to deliver high-payload dry powder to the lungs.

The Orbital technology helps meet an increasing global need to deliver high doses of drugs, such as antibiotics, to the lungs and allows powder payloads of up to 400mg to be inhaled by patients in divided doses without the need to reload. This platform was originally developed as a lifecycle extending product for the Pharmaxis cystic fibrosis drug Bronchitol^® (mannitol).

Howard Burnett, vice president global pulmonary category, Aptar Pharma comments, “With this acquisition, Aptar Pharma is pleased to be building on our current expertise for the treatment of chronic conditions. As a recognized global leader in respiratory drug delivery devices and associated services, we now have a wider offering to meet our customer needs.”

Gary Phillips, CEO of Pharmaxis adds, “I am delighted that Aptar Pharma, who are one of the world’s foremost drug delivery device companies, have seen the potential in the Orbital technology. We look forward to them building on the technical evaluations carried out during the option period and delivering new product solutions that can benefit drug developers and patients. Today’s announcement is a further example of our strategy to generate non-dilutive cash from the mannitol respiratory business.”