Enabling technology platforms

We have a wide range of important drug delivery technology platforms which are patent-protected. As well as using these technologies to support our own product development, we license them to other pharmaceutical companies where this makes commercial sense, a strategy that has already generated significant revenue for Vectura.

Vectura has a state-of-the-art Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility that has been designed specifically to manufacture inhaled products to support clinical trials.

The development of drugs for inhalation is more complex than for oral delivery and different approaches are required depending on the characteristics of the drug being delivered. Companies across the world are keen to harness our expertise and technology for their own inhalation programmes and we expect that this will lead to future collaborations and licensing deals.

Multi-unit dose DPI devices

Our cost-effective, multi-unit dose DPI technologies, designed to deliver locally acting drugs to the lungs, include devices such as GyroHaler® and OmniHaler®. Compact and easy to use, our devices consist of just a few moulded parts, which reduces manufacturing costs. Each device delivers up to 60 doses and is disposable after use. They have aerosolisation characteristics that are likely to be competitive in the marketplace and provide excellent drug protection from moisture and light using sealed, foil blisters.

GyroHaler® is used to deliver some of our generic products and is scaled up for commercial launch. Other devices are in late-stage development.

Formulation technologies – including PowderHale®

Our formulation technologies include PowderHale®, micronisation, blending and spray drying. PowderHale® is a patented DPI formulation technology designed to allow aerosolised drug particles to achieve high lung deposition with low-dose variability. This is achieved by incorporating an additional pharmacologically inactive excipient known as a Force Control Agent (FCA). Our formulation technologies and expertise are used in the development of our own and third-party products.