Altamira Therapeutics, a Bermudian-headquartered biotechnology company, has announced the publication of detailed results from its clinical trial with Bentrio nasal spray in house dust mite allergic rhinitis.

The company, which says it is dedicated to developing therapeutics that address important unmet medical needs, said the peer-reviewed article was published in Clinical and Translational Allergy, one of the leading journals in the field of allergology.

The HDM trial enrolled 37 patients in Canada with a history of perennial allergic rhinitis who underwent controlled allergen exposure three times in a challenge chamber for three hours each time.

They were randomly assigned in an open label crossover design to receive either Bentrio in a single or double dose, or no treatment, before allergen exposure.

The company said the study demonstrates statistically significant alleviation of nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

It added: “Administering two sprays rather than one puff did not yield any additional treatment benefits, confirming that a single application provides ample protection.

“A significant majority [86 per cent] of study participants rated global tolerability of the treatment as good or very good.”

Thomas Meyer, Altamira Therapeutics’ founder, chairman and chief executive, said: “The positive results from the house dust mite challenge study nicely complement those from the grass pollen study, demonstrating significant protective effects regardless of the type of inhaled allergen particles.

“Also, in both studies Bentrio exhibited a lasting protective effect for several hours, reflecting its long nasal residence time.

“As demonstrated in a previously published study, Bentrio provides a protective film on the nasal mucosa for about 3.5 hours, which far exceeds the residence time of saline nasal spray, the current standard of care in drug-free allergic rhinitis management.”

Altamira said HDM allergens constitute the prime cause of respiratory allergies, allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma, with prevalence estimates for allergen sensitisation ranging between 65 and 130 million persons in the general population worldwide, or as much as 50 per cent among asthmatic patients.

Unlike plant-related allergens which tend to be seasonal, it said, HDMs may be present all year long. Symptoms of HDM allergies include sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose, itching, coughing, difficulty breathing, and chest tightness or pain.

Altamira also announced that it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Pharma Nordic for the marketing and distribution of Bentrio in Norway and potentially other Scandinavian countries.

The company said the collaboration agreement will allow Pharma Nordic to market and commercialise Bentrio in Norway beginning in the first quarter of 2024, and, subject to meeting certain milestones, also in Sweden, Finland and Denmark later on.

Mr Meyer said: “We are very pleased to collaborate with Pharma Nordic to make Bentrio also available to patients in Scandinavia.

“We have been impressed by Pharma Nordic’s dedication to bringing innovative products to patients in Scandinavia and the team’s rich experience and great track record in business development, medical affairs and marketing in the life science sector.

“We look forward to building Bentrio together with Pharma Nordic into one of the leading brands for allergic rhinitis management in Scandinavia.”

Bent Andreassen, CEO of Pharma Nordic, said: “We're excited about launching Bentrio, as it is a unique, preservative-free and drug-free solution that demonstrates impressive efficacy against both seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis.

“These characteristics make it a highly suitable product for our Nordic customers, aligning with our region's emphasis on safe and effective healthcare solutions.”

Founded in 2003, Altamira is headquartered in Bermuda, with its main operations in Basel, Switzerland.