Adamis Looks to Dry Powder Inhaler Tech Following $3m License From 3M

11-Aug-2013 - Last updated on 12-Aug-2013 at 09:26 GMT

The licensing and potential purchase of the Taper Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI) technology from 3M complements Adamis’ portfolio and future formulation expansion, Adamis says.

The agreement made last week saw Adamis Pharmaceuticals pay $3m (€2.3m) to license the drug delivery technology from 3M through to the end of the year, with the option to buy the technology outright for a further $7m, according to an SEC filing.

The addition of the inhaler will complement Adamis' pipeline of asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and allergy drugs, Mark Flather, an Adamis spokesperson, told in-Pharmatechnologist.com.

“This was a logical fit,” he said, adding “the technology has the potential to use any drug on the carrier tape so Adamis could potentially explore new API and formulations to expand the potential return on investment to shareholders.”

“Adamis believes this is a transforming type of acquisition for the Company [who] has been in the asthma space for decades,” he added.

Taper DPI Tech

The inhaler works in unison with tape containing the drug and has been developed by 3M to compete with a number of DPIs already on the market including GlaxoSmithKline's Advair which clocked worldwide sales of £5bn ($7.7bn) in 2012, according to GSK’s annual report.

According to Adamis’ website, the Taper DPI offers greater efficacy than other DPIs on the market, with no need for excipients in delivering the drug and a capability of delivering up to 120 doses.

Furthermore, 3M spokesperson Julie Owen told in-Pharmatechnologist.com: The “taper Dry Powder Inhaler combines patient-friendly design and active aerosolization to provide effective delivery of drug in a multi-dose DPI.”

However, “3M is not licensing or transferring to Adamis the microstructured carrier tape (MCT) technology,” said Owen, but rather the firm will “supply this drug delivery tape for the platform to Adamis under a separate supply agreement.”

The technology will be first used for Adamis’ asthma/COPD drug APC-5000 which is entering Phase III clinical trials, though Flather said future products - so far unannounced - will also use it. Furthermore, he continued, if Adamis acquires the technology outright there may be potential to out-license the technology to another company for other products.

“Adamis will consider all of its options and determine what is best for the company and its shareholders at the appropriate time.”