PULM Pulmatrix Inc

LEXINGTON, Mass., Jan. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pulmatrix, Inc. (NASDAQ: PULM), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative inhaled therapies to address serious pulmonary diseases announced today that it will present new preclinical data for Pulmazole (PUR1900), its inhaled antifungal drug, in a poster at the 8th Advances Against Aspergillosis Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

In a preclinical model of invasive aspergillosis, Pulmazole treatment by inhalation resulted in a significant prolongation of survival and improved clinical signs of infection compared to placebo treatment. "The preclinical efficacy data highlights the potential advantages of Pulmazole in treating pulmonary Aspergillus infections by delivering itraconazole directly to the lungs," said David Hava, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer for Pulmatrix.

Pulmazole is being developed as a treatment of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) in patients with asthma and was recently granted regulatory approval for the initiation of a Phase 1/1b clinical trial in the first quarter of 2018. 

ABPA is a disease that occurs most often in patients with underlying asthma or cystic fibrosis, and it is characterized by an exaggerated allergic hypersensitivity response of the immune system to the fungus Aspergillus growing in the airways. Oral itraconazole (Sporanox®) is currently used as an adjunctive treatment to corticosteroids in ABPA patients, however its use is limited by poor bioavailability, variable pharmacokinetics, and toxicity concerns related primarily to the risk of gastrointestinal and cardiac side effects and extensive drug-drug interactions.

Pulmatrix's inhaled drug Pulmazole, which combines itraconazole with the company's iSPERSE™ dry powder delivery technology, has the potential to solve these problems by delivering the drug directly to the lungs. The new study supports the potential advantages of inhaled drug delivery, and extends previous preclinical results demonstrating that administration of inhaled itraconazole can result in higher levels in the lung relative to oral itraconazole.

"The presentation of important preclinical data on the efficacy of Pulmazole furthers our understanding of the potential of Pulmazole to treat pulmonary infections caused by Aspergillus in patients with underlying respiratory disease. We are pleased that we have made significant advances in the Pulmazole program and that we are poised to initiate clinical testing," explained Robert Clarke, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer for Pulmatrix.

The poster will be presented during the conference in the Lisboa Congress Centre in Lisbon, Portugal, February 1 – 3, 2018.  A copy of the poster will be available on the Pulmatrix website following the meeting. 

About Pulmatrix             
Pulmatrix is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative inhaled therapies to address serious pulmonary disease using its patented iSPERSE™ technology. The Company's proprietary product pipeline is focused on advancing treatments for serious lung diseases, including Pulmazole (PUR1900), an inhaled anti-fungal for patients with ABPA, and PUR1800, a narrow spectrum kinase inhibitor for patients with obstructive lung diseases including asthma and COPD. In addition, Pulmatrix has partnered with Vectura Group plc to develop Pulmatrix's drug candidate, PUR0200, for COPD for the U.S. market. Pulmatrix's product candidates are based on iSPERSE™, its proprietary engineered dry powder delivery platform, which seeks to improve therapeutic delivery to the lungs by maximizing local concentrations and reducing systemic side effects to improve patient outcomes.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this press release that are forward-looking and not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company cautions that such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may materially affect the Company's results of operations. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including but not limited to the ability to establish that potential products are efficacious or safe in preclinical or clinical trials; the ability to establish or maintain collaborations on the development of therapeutic candidates; the ability to obtain appropriate or necessary governmental approvals to market potential products; the ability to obtain future funding for developmental products and working capital and to obtain such funding on commercially reasonable terms; the Company's ability to manufacture product candidates on a commercial scale or in collaborations with third parties; changes in the size and nature of competitors; the ability to retain key executives and scientists; and the ability to secure and enforce legal rights related to the Company's products, including patent protection. A discussion of these and other factors, including risks and uncertainties with respect to the Company, is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2017, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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SOURCE Pulmatrix, Inc.