Iconovo AB (publ) announced that it has made progress towards an out-licensing of its proprietary pre-filled inhaler ICOpre® by launching the outreach phase. In late May 2023, Iconovo appointed the global investment bank Stifel to manage a structured process to maximize the commercial value of a future agreement. The process is proceeding well and several international pharmaceutical companies have now entered into confidential disclosure agreements to evaluate the inhaler platform.

The project has already gained great interest. Now is a good time to accelerate the licensing process as Iconovo recently finalized the interaction with the FDA regarding the requirements to make ICOpre interchangeable with Ellipta in the US. ICOpre® is a pre-filled inhaler that can be adapted to any type of inhalation powder.

The device is designed to have the same convenience and patient handling as the Ellipta inhaler from GSK, opening for interchangeability. ICOpre® can be loaded with up to three different drug substances for simultaneous inhalation. ICOpre® is based on a unique, patent-pending principle that minimizes the risk of infringement of other inhalers' intellectual property rights.

The out-licensing process for ICOpre® is expected to be completed in the first half of 2024, and ICOpre® is well placed to become the first generic challenger to Ellipta in both the EU and the US. The first launch opportunity in the portfolio is expected to be for a generic version of Relvar in 2027.