Iconovo and Lonza Team up to Advance Intranasal Biologic with ICOone Nasal

Iconovo AB, a company specializing in inhalable medications created with unique inhalers and dry powder formulations, has partnered with Lonza, a healthcare development and manufacturing firm, to develop spray-dried formulations of an intranasal biologic for Iconovo’s exclusive intranasal device ICOone Nasal. This initiative marks Iconovo's first project aimed at reformulating established pharmaceuticals to substitute injections and oral medications with inhalation methods.

As per the agreement, Lonza will create spray-dried formulations for use in the ICOone Nasal device at its Bend (US) location. The partnership seeks to determine the optimal product characteristics related to particle size, stability, and compatibility with devices, while maintaining biological efficacy.

The ICOone Nasal, an inhaler platform developed by Iconovo, is a unique nasal device that dispenses the dose upon inhalation by the user. A single inhaler and an inhale from each nostril should deliver a standard dose of the biologic compound, questioning the necessity of the current injected formulation.

Johan Wäborg, CEO, Iconovo, commented: “Lonza is a world leader in bioavailability enhancement and renowned for its spray-drying capabilities of biologics. Combined with Iconovo’s unique nasal inhaler, we expect the result to be an unprecedented patient-friendly product, and we hope that this cooperation will lead to a fruitful, long-term collaboration that goes beyond this specific project.”