Inova Personalized Health Accelerator Expands Precision Medicine Portfolio with Cyrano Therapeutic’s Novel Solution for Olfactory Impairment

New Nasal Spray Stimulates Olfactory Receptor Growth, Improving Sense of Smell and Taste

Fairfax, Virginia — Expanding its portfolio of innovative health solutions, the Inova Personalized Health Accelerator (IPHA) has invested in a new therapy company that is developing a solution to address a major unmet need in patients with olfactory impairment. Sense of smell can often be taken for granted, until it is lost. This occurs most commonly by sino-nasal disease and upper respiratory infection, and in many cases, by head trauma. Cyrano Therapeutics understands the profound impact these senses can have on quality of life and is developing the first safe and effective nasal spray to restore and maintain the sense of smell and its connection with the ability to detect flavor in food (often perceived as taste). According to the peer-reviewed journal BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders, 14 million patients in the United States have olfactory impairment or loss of smell, yet few treatments are available.

“Without smell there is a diminished sense of taste and with it a diminished ability to detect flavor in food. Both smell and taste enhance our lives and provide pleasure, but they also serve as a warning system to alert of us potential dangers such as a gas leak, smoke or spoiled food,” said Cyrano Therapeutics’ founder Dr. Robert Henkin. “Our goal is to provide patients with an effective daily therapy with a low risk of side effects that restores smell and taste. The loss of these senses reduces the quality of life and can contribute to behavioral health challenges.”

In a pilot study, the nasal spray demonstrated a significant response rate and has the potential to offer providers, including otolaryngologists, allergists and neurologists a long-term, effective solution for patients. Cyrano Therapy will also provide these physicians with a proprietary diagnostic kit to diagnose and quantify the severity of a patient’s loss of smell and taste.

As Inova continues to advance its portfolio of precision medicine capabilities, Cyrano Therapeutic’s nasal spray solution may help to improve the lives of patients experiencing smell and taste loss, especially the more than two-thirds of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy that report changes in sensory perception.

“The sense of smell and taste are integral to our quality of life. This nasal spray will provide physicians with an effective tool to improve patients’ quality of life without causing significant limitations for patients,” said IPHA Director, Mike Thomas.

The spray is readily formulated and well-tolerated for nasal delivery. It is administered daily in a low-dose directly to the patient’s nasal mucosa and olfactory receptors. It can also be used with commercially available nasal pump dispensers. It was found to have no systemic side effects, and there was no detection of theophylline in the bloodstream in the patients tested to date.

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Media Contact: Kelly Schlageter, kelly.schlageter@inova.org

About Inova Personalized Health Accelerator

The Inova Personalized Health Accelerator is a unique program that provides healthcare technology and services entrepreneurs with C-suite coaches, customized plans, early stage capital, connections to strategic partners and later stage capital, and connections to customers. This bespoke approach to accelerating new companies through the early stages of product design, capital formation and commercialization will serve as the foundation for a stronger healthcare ecosystem in the mid-Atlantic region. Read more at www.inovapha.org.

About Inova 

Inova is a global leader in personalized health, which leverages precision medicine to predict, prevent and treat disease, enabling individuals to live longer, healthier lives. At Inova, we serve more than 2 million people each year from throughout the Washington, DC, metro area and beyond. We are shaping the future of health through our integrated network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, emergency and urgent care centers, outpatient services and destination institutes. Inova is home to world-class researchers, expert medical specialists and renowned scientists who are driving innovation to improve patient care, prevent disease and promote wellness. Our commitment to health and wellness is further reflected in our sustainable practices. For more information, visit www.inova.org, or find Inova on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Cyrano Therapeutics

Cyrano Therapeutics is an early stage company developing and commercializing a unique, proprietary intranasal product to restore function in patients with a chronic loss of smell and an associated diminished sense of taste. This is a condition affecting at least 14 million people in the US and a similar number in Europe, having a significant impact on quality of life and well-being. For more information visit www.cyranotherapeutics.com.