Stallergenes Greer has identified drug delivery as a way to differentiate its allergen immunotherapies (AITs) from rival products, leading it to partner with Aptar Pharma to develop a connected device.
Earlier this year, Stallergenes Greer advanced its sublingual house dust mite immunotherapy tablet, positioning it to challenge ALK in certain European markets. The introduction of the sublingual dose moved Stallergenes Greer beyond oral liquid products and subcutaneous AIT formulations and into direct competition with ALK, which brought a sublingual house dust mite immunotherapy to the European market in 2015.
Now, Stallergenes Greer has partnered with Aptar to improve the delivery of its sublingual product. Dominique Pezziardi, global head of pricing and market access at Stallergenes Greer, set out the significance of the collaboration in a statement to disclose the news.
“This exclusive partnership with Aptar Pharma demonstrates the intensification of Stallergenes Greer’s investments in innovation to provide a large range of precise personalized allergen immunotherapy options adapted to the individual needs and lifestyle of patients,” Pezziardi said.
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Stallergenes Greer is looking to the connected device to help patients adhere to the sublingual AIT dose regimen. While sublingual dosing is convenient, it requires adolescents and adults to remember to take a tablet every day for 12 months or more. If patients miss more than seven consecutive days of doses of Stallergenes Greer’s AIT, they are advised to contact a physician before resuming dosing.
Compliance has been a significant problem with sublingual AIT in the past. One study found 12% of people taking sublingual AIT were compliant with the dosing regimen after three years of treatment, the duration recommended by international guidelines. If the device can increase adherence, and thereby improve outcomes, Stallergenes Greer could gain an advantage in the sublingual AIT space.
The project will use Aptar Pharma’s Cohero platform. Aptar bought Cohero late last year to add to its respiratory digital health capabilities. The Stallergenes Greer product based on the platform is due to hit the French market next year.