Bronchitol, Inhalation Powder for CF Patients, to Enter Swiss Market

EffRx Pharmaceuticals announced that it has signed an exclusive license agreement with Pharmaxis to register and commercialize Bronchitol (mannitol) for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) in Switzerland.

According to EffRx, Bronchitol should be available to Swiss patients by 2021.

Bronchitol is a dry powder for inhalation developed by Pharmaxis, an Australian company. After being inhaled, its active ingredient — called mannitol —draws water into the airways, helping to thin the sticky mucus trapped inside patients’ lungs so that it’s easier to cough out.  Recommended inhalation is twice-a-day, using a small plastic handheld device.

Under the terms of the license agreement, EffRx will be responsible for registering, pricing, reimbursing, and commercializing Bronchitol in Switzerland.

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“We are extremely pleased to announce this exclusive licensing agreement for Bronchitol. We look forward to making this novel therapeutic option accessible to Swiss patients suffering from cystic fibrosis,” Lorenzo Bosisio, CEO of EffRx Pharmaceuticals, said in a press release.

“We are encouraged by the clinical data and experience with Bronchitol which show that this convenient treatment is well-tolerated and can lead to improvements in lung function,” Bosisio added.

Bronchitol is approved to treat CF patients age 6 or older in Australia, and adults (ages 18 and older) in the EU and Israel. In the U.S., an advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recommended its approval; a final FDA decision is expected soon.

“Our team is delighted to have entered this collaboration with EffRx,” said Gary Phillips, CEO of Pharmaxis. “We are keen to leverage the go-to-market expertise of EffRx to bring Bronchitol to the Swiss market.”

The Swiss Society for Cystic Fibrosis (CFCH) estimates that there are about 1,000 people living with CF in that country.