Teva announces launch of Adasuve

JERUSALEM — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced the launch of Adasuve (loxapine) inhalation powder in a 10-mg dosage. The drug is the first and only orally inhaled medicine for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in adults.



Adasuve is administered through Alexza Pharmaceuticals' Staccato, a single-use, hand-held drug delivery technology system. The drug device combination product provides rapid systemic delivery by inhalation of a thermally-generated aerosol of loxapine, a first generation antipsychotic, to the lung, according to the company.



“Existing treatment options for patients with agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder are limited to oral tablets or injectable modes of administration, sometimes requiring the use of restraints,” said Richard Jaffe, M.D., medical director for research and clinical trials at the Belmont Center for Comprehensive Treatment Philadelphia and a clinical trial investigator. “Adasuve is a drug-device combination that offers healthcare providers a new option to help manage agitation.”



Adasuve is currently available through a select distribution network.