Our Microsphere Technology
We have developed proprietary process technology that allows us to create microspheres with precise size and density characteristics. This enabling technology (Figure Below) composed of proprietary spray drying equipment, pore-forming agents, and advanced particle milling processes enables great flexibility to design drug delivery vehicles useful in a wide range of compounds.
The suitability of microspheres for use in drug delivery depends on a variety of characteristics, including size, shell material and porosity. Our initial product candidates demonstrate three potential applications of this technology.
The technology used to create Imagify™ (Perflubutane Polymer Microspheres) for Injectable Suspension, our lead commercial candidate, is made by creating an emulsion containing PLGA (polylactic-co-glycolic acid), a phospholipid and a pore-forming agent. This emulsion is further processed using Acuphere's proprietary spray drying technology - a two chamber spray dryer which produces small, porous microspheres containing gas analogous in structure to honeycombs.
We have also developed a proprietary formulation technology called HDDS™, Hydrophobic Drug Delivery System. HDDS can convert a broad class of drugs that do not dissolve well in water, or hydrophobic drugs, into microspheres or nanospheres of the drug embedded in small microspheres that can more rapidly dissolve in water.
Our initial clinical proof of concept of HDDS is AI-850™ comprised of microspheres with pores throughout analogous in structure to sponges. We have demonstrated in pre-clinical studies that our HDDS technology may improve the dissolution rate by up to 30 fold of a variety of hydrophobic drugs.
Our third technology, PDDS™, Pulmonary Drug Delivery System, is a long-acting pulmonary drug delivery system that we believe represents a significant medical opportunity. Current pulmonary delivery systems are not optimal requiring frequent and imprecise dosing. We believe sustained delivery of drugs to the lung may improve safety and efficacy by moderating the dosage peaks and troughs of immediate release drugs.
Our PDDS technology controls where drug particles go in the lung and how quickly they release the drug. Our initial proof of concept of PDDS AI-128™ is an improved formulation of an asthma drug analogous in structure to whiffle balls and may enable improved delivery of drugs via the pulmonary route.