Nemera which is part of the EU-funded project Cupido (Cardio Ultraefficient nanoParticles for Inhalation of Drug products), started in February 2017 proposes an innovative solution: the application of nanotechnologies to the cardiovascular field.
 
The EU-based consortium composed of 6 academic research groups, 5 SMEs, 2 industries, and 1 pharmaceutical company, gathers a vast array of expertise and joins research with pre-clinical experience and industrial manufacturing. The 4-year project, funded with €6 million under the EU Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, aims to proof the preclinical feasibility of the nanotherapy, preparing the way for future clinical trials.
 
The role of Nemera in the consortium will be the development of the devices for the administration of the nanoparticules by inhalation to the heart.
 
The Europe-based company is a world leader in the design, development and manufacturing of drug delivery devices covering  inhalation (pMDIs, DPIs), Ophthalmic  with multi-dose, preservative-free eyedroppers, nasal, buccal, auricular pumps, valves and actuators for sprays, dermal and transdermal airless & atmospheric dispensers, parenteral auto-injectors, pens, safety devices & implanters.
 
Cupido aims to hit the core of the cardiovascular disease, developing inhalable nanoparticles that can deliver as simple as breathing a therapeutic directly to the diseased heart. Nanoparticles are extremely tiny, almost 1 million times smaller than a grain of sand in size and far too small to see with conventional microscopes. Exploiting such a tiny system as a route of administration can revolutionize the cardiovascular field, becoming the first non-invasive and heart-specific therapeutic approach.
 
To achieve the goal, the Cupido consortium is working to develop biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles that can self-assemble and encapsulate drugs (novel or available) in a suitable format for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The nanoparticles, once inhaled, will translocate through the lungs and fast reach the heart, where the drug will be finally released on the site of interest. The heart-specificity will be ensured thanks to chemical and magnetic guidance, reducing the chances of adverse side effects and lowering the required amounts of therapeutic compound.