IP Library Granted Patent US 12,168,011
Granted Patent B2
US 12,168,011 · App. 18/422,922 · Granted Dec 17, 2024

Formulation production process

Inventors: Peter Lionel Spargo (Canterbury, GB); Phillip A. Haywood (Buntingford, GB); Edward James French (Canterbury, GB)
Assignee: Verona Pharma PLC
A61K31/519A61K9/0075A61K9/1682
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,168,011
App. No.
18/422,922
Granted
Dec 17, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing a sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition suitable for administration by inhalation comprising ensifentrine particles, wherein the process comprises: (a) heating ensifentrine particles at a temperature of from 100° C. to 220° C. to obtain sterile ensifentrine particles; and (b) combining the sterile ensifentrine particles with a sterile liquid vehicle to produce the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition suitable for administration by inhalation. A process for producing an ampule comprising the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition is also described.

Claims (38)

1. A method for producing a sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition comprising sterile ensifentrine particles suitable for administration by inhalation, the method comprising:

(a) heating ensifentrine particles at a temperature of from 100° C. to 220° C. to obtain the sterile ensifentrine particles, wherein the heating produces less than a 0.5% w/w increase in total impurities; and

(b) combining the sterile ensifentrine particles with a sterile liquid vehicle to produce the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition suitable for administration by inhalation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises heating the ensifentrine particles at a temperature of from 120° C. to 200° C.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method comprises heating the ensifentrine particles at a temperature of from 140° C. to 180° C.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises heating the ensifentrine particles for from 10 minutes to 24 hours.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the method comprises heating the ensifentrine particles for from 30 minutes to 360 minutes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises heating the ensifentrine particles at a temperature of from 145° C. to 175° C. for from 45 minutes to 160 minutes.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method comprises heating the ensifentrine particles at a temperature of from 155° C. to 165° C. for from 110 minutes to 130 minutes.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sterile ensifentrine particles comprise at least 95% by weight of ensifentrine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof relative to a total weight of the sterile ensifentrine particles.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sterile ensifentrine particles comprise at least 95% by weight of ensifentrine free base relative to a total weight of the sterile ensifentrine particles.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ensifentrine particles are in a form of a dry powder.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sterile ensifentrine particles have a particle size distribution with a Dv10 of from 0.1 μm to 1.0 μm.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sterile ensifentrine particles have a particle size distribution with a Dv50 of from 0.5 μm to 5.0 μm.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sterile ensifentrine particles have a particle size distribution with a Dv90 of from 2.5 μm to 6 μm.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises subjecting a liquid vehicle to aseptic filtration to produce the sterile liquid vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sterile liquid vehicle comprises a diluent and optionally one or more additional excipients selected from surfactants, buffers, and tonicity adjusters.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) sterile ensifentrine particles at a concentration of from 0.5 mg/mL to 6 mg/mL;

(b) one or more surfactants at a concentration of from 0.01 mg/mL to 2 mg/mL;

(c) a buffer at a concentration of from 0.6 mg/mL to 4 mg/mL;

(d) a tonicity adjuster at a concentration of from 5 mg/mL to 12 mg/mL.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the sterile liquid vehicle comprises water, sodium chloride, sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate, disodium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, polysorbate 20, or sorbitan laurate.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) sterile ensifentrine particles at a concentration of from 0.5 mg/mL to 6 mg/mL;

(b) polysorbate 20 at a concentration of from 0.1 mg/mL to 1.5 mg/mL;

(c) sorbitan monolaurate at a concentration of from 0.01 mg/mL to 0.5 mg/mL;

(d) sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate at a concentration of from 0.3 mg/mL to 2 mg/mL;

(e) disodium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate at a concentration of from 0.3 mg/mL to 2 mg/mL; and

(f) sodium chloride at a concentration of from 5 mg/mL to 12 mg/mL,

wherein a total weight of ensifentrine in the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition is from 2.7 to 3.3 mg.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition comprises sterile ensifentrine particles at a concentration of from 0.1 mg/mL to 5 mg/mL.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition comprises sterile ensifentrine particles at a concentration of from 1 mg/mL to 2 mg/mL.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pH of the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition is from 6 to 7.5.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the pH of the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition is from 6.2 to 7.2.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sterile ensifentrine particles are re-suspendable in the sterile liquid vehicle.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not comprise heating the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition at a temperature of 100° C. or greater.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sterile liquid pharmaceutical composition is suitable for use in a nebulizer.

Assignments (6)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 12, 2026
From: VERONA PHARMA PLC
To: VERONA PHARMA LIMITED
Reel/Frame 073534/0491 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2025
From: OAKTREE FUND ADMINISTRATION, LLC
To: VERONA PHARMA PLC
Reel/Frame 072495/0271 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS AT R/F 067387/0799 Recorded Mar 25, 2025
From: OAKTREE FUND ADMINISTRATION, LLC, AS AGENT
To: VERONA PHARMA PLC
Reel/Frame 070618/0561 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2024
From: VERONA PHARMA PLC
To: OAKTREE FUND ADMINISTRATION, LLC
Reel/Frame 067387/0708 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2024
From: VERONA PHARMA PLC
To: OAKTREE FUND ADMINISTRATION, LLC
Reel/Frame 067387/0799 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2024
From: SPARGO, PETER LIONEL; HAYWOOD, PHILLIP A.; FRENCH, EDWARD JAMES
To: VERONA PHARMA PLC
Reel/Frame 066649/0499 →
Priority Claims (1)
GB 2202297 · Feb 21, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTGB2023050372 · Feb 20, 2023
Related Publication 20240165117A1 · May 23, 2024
Cited By (2)
US 12,251,384 US 12,409,180