# Treating non-small cell lung tumors with a novel inhaled dry powder chemotherapeutic formulation

> **NIH NIH R43** · QUENCH MEDICAL, INC. · 2020 · $400,000

## Abstract

Project Summary / Abstract
Significance Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality with a 5-year survival rate of 16% following
surgery and intravenous chemotherapy.
Problem Despite the use of aggressive surgery and combination chemotherapy, a major limitation in the control
of primary and metastatic non-small cell pulmonary tumors with the use of the systemic administration of
chemotherapy drugs is the low drug concentration in the lungs due to blood volume dilution and metabolism.
There is a critical unmet medical need to develop new strategies to improve patient treatment outcomes.
Innovation In contrast to systemic delivery of chemotherapy, inhalation delivers a chemotherapeutic drug
directly to tumor tissues in the lung thereby enhancing its efficacy and safety due to increased local drug
concentration in the lung, decreased systemic drug levels in the circulation, and decreased systemic toxicity.
Gap Preliminary pre-clinical in-vivo studies using nebulized chemotherapy drugs has demonstrated efficacy and
established the feasibility of delivery via aerosol, but nebulization of toxic drugs has major drawbacks. These
drawbacks include a lack of efficient peripheral airway penetration, high mouth-throat deposition, contamination
of equipment, and collateral aerosol risk to medical staff.
Project Objective To address these drawbacks, we are developing a new method of delivering a
chemotherapeutic drug via inhalation to reach pulmonary tumors directly in order to maximize the effectiveness
and safety of the aerosol treatment with a fraction of the standard dose. We will create a novel dry powder
chemotherapeutic formulation containing an FDA approved chemotherapy medication for the treatment of non-
small cell lung cancer.
Aims Aims of this proposal will evaluate the feasibility of manufacturing the novel formulation and then
demonstrating efficacy in an established in-vivo lung cancer model.
Commercial Potential Translation of this technology into a clinically beneficial inhalable chemotherapy product
has the potential to significantly improve the treatment of pulmonary tumors in lung cancer patients by delivering
targeted lower doses of medicine directly to the lung while minimizing systemic toxicity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10080226
- **Project number:** 1R43CA250617-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** QUENCH MEDICAL, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Bryce Beverlin II
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $400,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-14 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10080226

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10080226, Treating non-small cell lung tumors with a novel inhaled dry powder chemotherapeutic formulation (1R43CA250617-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10080226. Licensed CC0.

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