Iconovo AB (publ), which develops complete inhalation products for a global market, today announces that the company has filed a broad patent application related to inhaled GLP-1 receptor agonists. This marks the first step in Iconovo’s new initiative to develop more convenient, reliable, and cost-effective treatments for obesity. Based on its proprietary inhalers, the company aims to license out selected products after the preclinical proof-of-concept stage. Inhaled GLP-1 addresses a rapidly growing market, expected to reach USD 90 billion in 2029.

The inhaled GLP-1 products will be developed in Iconovo’s proprietary inhalers, primarily as a treatment for obesity with the opportunity to include other metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease and sleep apnea. The investments required in the initial development phase are limited.

“As a leading inhalation company, with a range of fully developed inhaler platforms and the competence to formulate pharmaceutical compounds into powders, we are in a perfect position to take a step into reformulation of selected high-value products in areas where inhalation can offer significant patient benefits. We are very excited to take this important step towards the development of a next generation of patient-friendly GLP-1 treatments with sustained efficacy”, says Johan Wäborg, CEO of Iconovo.

Most of today’s GLP-1 treatments, like Zepbound® (Eli Lilly) and Wegovy® (Novo Nordisk), are administered via subcutaneous injection, which is considered both stress- and painful by many patients. Iconovo’s inhaled treatments would give patients access to an alternative that is pain-free, and much more convenient. Since it is not an injection, there would be no requirements for cold storage to ensure the treatment’s durability, making inhaled treatment more reliable and cost-effective.

At present there is one oral GLP-1 treatment on the market, and more are under development. So far, bioavailability has been a major challenge with only about 1% of the active drug reaching its target. Iconovo estimates that inhaled GLP-1 would reach efficacy levels comparable to injected treatments, making it potentially competitively advantageous to oral treatments.

The patent application for inhaled GLP-1 receptor agonists addresses a very large and rapidly growing market presently worth USD 35 billion with an expectancy to grow at an annual rate of 17% to USD 90 billion in 2029. (Source: GlobalData).