Shots:
- Recently, Cyrano Therapeutics signed a licensing agreement with Resyca, integrating its novel therapy for post-viral smell loss, CYR-064, with Resyca’s Soft Mist Nasal Spray Technology
- PharmaShots welcomes Rick Geoffrion, President & CEO of Cyrano Therapeutics, in an illuminating dialogue exchange centered around CYR-064 and its role in treating post-viral hyposmia (smell loss)
- Rick highlights the strategies for increasing accessibility across the US, Japan, and Europe after approval and expanding the drug applications to meet unmet clinical needs.
Saurabh: What advantages does this delivery method offer patients compared to traditional options?
Rick: Resyca has developed a proprietary technology that can be adapted to a commercial nasal pump. In our case, it is a quality pump from Ursatec. The technology allows the Ursatec pump to deliver a droplet size that is small enough to waft up to the olfactory region at the very top of the nasal cavity, thereby providing more consistent drug deposition to that region. The olfactory region and the olfactory receptor neurons that reside within it is the therapeutic target for CYR-064. Resyca technology is expected to improve the consistency of drug delivery for CYR-064 and improve the odds that it will provide a clinical benefit in patients with smell loss.
Saurabh: Could you elaborate on the clinical trials or studies currently underway for CYR-064, particularly its use in Parkinson’s disease-related hyposmia or post-viral smell loss?
Rick: Cyrano is not currently sponsoring a trial or study in Parkinson’s Disease related hyposmia, but we are supplying clinical material to an investigator initiated study sponsored by Dr. David Silvers at Gardens Neurology in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Patients with Parkinson’s disease have been shown to have an overpopulation of dopaminergic cells each olfactory bulb. It is possible that the resulting over-expression of dopamine could be dampening olfactory transduction. Dr. Silvers is interested to see if targeted intranasal delivery of CYR-064 could increase the signal threshold and restore the sense of smell, at least in part, for these patients.
Saurabh: How significant is the market potential for CYR-064 in Japan following your option agreement with KYORIN for post-viral smell loss treatment? Are there plans to seek similar partnerships in other regions to accelerate commercialization?
Rick: Japan, like every other country in the world, has a large population of patients with post-viral smell loss. As one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of ENT-related pharmaceutical in Japan, we believe Kyorin is well-positioned to penetrate the Japan market.
Saurabh: If approved, how will you ensure CYR-064 reaches patients who need it most? Are there plans to work with insurers or governments to keep costs manageable?
Rick: At Cyrano we are mindful that there are tens of millions of people in the US and elsewhere whose lives could be positively impacted by this therapy once proven to be safe and effective and approved for sale. I founded this company after losing my sense of smell due to an upper respiratory virus and identifying a potential therapy. Since then I have been on a mission to bring this to the vast majority of those who suffer and currently have no therapy options available. Once approved, we plan to work with insurers, governments and the greater clinical community to make this therapy accessible to as many patients as possible.
Saurabh: Given the growing focus on personalized medicine and non-invasive treatments in the healthcare industry, how does Cyrano Therapeutics plan to leverage its partnership with Resyca and the soft mist nasal spray technology to expand CYR-064’s applications beyond post-viral hyposmia, in neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease or other chemosensory disorders?
Rick: With more than 60 million patients in the US, Europe and Japan, post-viral hyposmia (smell loss) represents the largest potential treatment indication for CYR-064. However, we also recognize that 95% of patients with Parkinson’s disease and a significant number of patients with early dementia also experience smell loss as an early symptom. Therefore, in parallel, our team has been looking very closely at follow-on programs with the potential to address these unmet clinical needs.
About the Author:
Rick Geoffrion
Rick Geoffrion is the Founder, President, and CEO of Cyrano Therapeutics. He brings more than 35 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries and has founded seven therapeutic companies. He also serves on the Board of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium and serves as an advisor to the Cleveland Clinic.
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