The #DutchTechHeroes Fighting COVID-19: Today Maurits Huigen, COO Gilbert Technologies

“I am Maurits Huigen, the COO of Gilbert Technologies. Gilbert Technologies, a spin-off from TU Delft, has started with the development of a new generation of soft mist inhalers for the precise pulmonary administration of expensive medicines for people with lung diseases. The treatment of more severe lung diseases is accompanied by therapy with complex expensive pharmaceuticals that are administered to patients currently either orally, intravenously, or subcutaneously. It’s well acknowledged that the administration of pharmaceuticals directly to the lung is more effective. However, when it comes to treating severe lung conditions current technologies for inhaling drugs available in the market have limited capabilities. Recognising the imperative need for an effective pulmonary drug administration, Gilbert Technologies is developing its proprietary Electro Hydro-Dynamic Atomization (EHDA) or ‘Electrospray’ technology. Gilbert Technologies’ inhaler device, currently in development, has the potential to offer unique benefits to patients for aerosolisation and medication targeting of more complex and advanced molecular entities for respiratory diseases.”

“Recently the WHO has taken the valuable initiative for a global megatrial of the most promising treatments to fight COVID-19. Gilbert Technologies has generated the ambition, with its development partner, to accelerate the development of CE-markable prototypes of the electrospray inhaler to be able to test the most promising repurpose and/or new drug candidate(s) for inhaled coronavirus treatment by early 2021.

Gilbert Technologies’ inhaler device, currently in development, offers the potential to simplify the inhalation technique for patients, enable enhanced drug administration, therapy adherence, and reduce treatment costs. Gilbert Technologies’ patented EHDA electrospray technology makes it possible to deliver therapies in a targeted way to patients through inhalation, with the potential of making treatment more effective."

“Gilbert Technologies recently completed a relevant milestone in the development of the first prototype of the electrospray inhalers to create the foundation for the final product and the European CE marking. This is in preparation for the commercial launch of the Gilbert inhalation technology platform. In the short term, Gilbert Technologies is looking for a lead investor for a consortium to fund the execution of an accelerated development plan, to have CE-markable prototypes suitable for clinical use available by Q1 2021. By that time, it is expected that from recently announced global clinical trials, it will be clear which repurpose and/or new drug candidates are most effective for the (early) treatment of COVID-19. Precise administration via the inhalation route is regarded as highly desirable. Gilbert Technologies’ ambition is to be able to test the combination of its electrospray technology platform with the aforementioned medicines by early next year.”