Pulmatrix Inc, Lexington, Mass, has initiated a collaboration agreement with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc (CFFT), the nonprofit drug discovery and development affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, to accelerate the clinical development of Pulmatrix’s lead iCALM™ inhaled drug candidate, PUR118.
Under the terms of the agreement, CFFT will provide Pulmatrix with up to $1.4 million in upfront and milestone-driven funding, along with introductions to cystic fibrosis (CF) academic researchers and access to research and resources. The CFFT award will support Pulmatrix’s phase 1b clinical trials of PUR118 in cystic fibrosis to reduce the risk of acute exacerbations in CF patients.
PUR118 is currently in a phase 1 study in cystic fibrosis and two phase 1b studies in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These ongoing clinical studies build upon earlier PUR118 clinical studies, the results of which were reported at this year’s annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society. Following the completion of the phase 1 safety and tolerability study in CF patients, Pulmatrix plans to begin a phase 1b clinical trial of PUR118 in CF patients evaluating mucociliary clearance velocity as an endpoint.
Source: Pulmatrix; Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
