Iconovo AB (publ) announced that the clinical phase I study of oxytocin in the company's inhaler ICOone that was initiated earlier this year in Melbourne, Australia, is now fully recruited. The results are expected to be published in early 2024. The study is part of a collaboration between Iconovo and Monash University to develop an inhalable oxytocin treatment based on ICOone for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).

PPH is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, affecting around 14 million women per year and leading to up to 70,000 deaths among new mothers globally. These deaths occur mainly in low- and middle-income countries. The Phase I clinical trial involves healthy, non-pregnant women and is being conducted by the Nucleus Network at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

The study compares an inhaled heat-stable powder formulation of oxytocin in ICOone with intramuscular injections of oxytocin (the current standard treatment for PPH). The project is led by Professor Michelle McIntosh from the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS). The clinical trial is supported by the Commonwealth Government's Accelerating Commercialisation Program, the Victorian Government's Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund, and Johnson & Johnson.