Breathable biologics in Barcelona

ISAB CEO Lena Heffler created interest at the Inhalation and Drug Respiratory Products 2018 Conference in Barcelona Sept’ 20-21. Developing respirable biologics was a hot topic—so ISAB’s precision dosing methodology, generating aerosols from very small amounts of delicate substance, drew interest and attention.

The event drew a select audience of approx. 40 senior scientists and decision makers from companies working all along the inhalation development chain. “It was a wide-ranging program,” says Lena Heffler. “There were experts from everything from inhalator blisters and capsules to formulation to in vitro computer simulation. I learned a lot! And people really wanted to connect and make quality contacts. I’ve never been to a meeting where everyone was so open and discussion flowed so freely.”

Respirable vaccines and biologics: a hot topic

Inhalable biologics and vaccines were a hot topic. Worldwide, revenues from biologics increased 60%  from 2011-2016, and are currently rising even more. But whilst biologic therapies offer serious advantages, there are challenges to developers working on aerosolized, inhalable biologics.

“For inhaled drug developers everything you think you know and have built up working with small
molecules, needs to be rethought and redesigned when it comes to biologics.” says Lena Heffler. “You usually have far less material to work with, it’s delicate, and costly. So for us it’s an exciting opportunity. I approached people working on biologics and said ‘you know I think I have a solution’.”

Lena Heffler’s main-stage talk was ”Precision dosing: A Unique Methodology”. Precision dosing is one of the very few technologies able to aerosolize tiny amounts of biologics. Aerosolizing gently and precisely means it is well suited to delicate, challenging substances.

To learn more about precision dosing – go here.