Alexza Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of novel proprietary products for the acute treatment of central nervous system, or CNS conditions. In May 2016, the firm was acquired by AGrupo Ferrer Internacional. the firm's product candidates are based on proprietary technology, the Staccato® system. The Staccato system vaporizes excipient-free drugs to form a condensation aerosol that, when inhaled, allows for rapid systemic drug delivery. Because of the ideal particle size of the aerosol, the pure drug is quickly absorbed through the deep lung into the bloodstream, providing speed of therapeutic onset that is comparable to intravenous (IV) administration but with greater ease, patient comfort and convenience. Alexza's lead program is ADASUVE (Staccato loxapine) has been approved for the rapid treatment of agitation in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disease. In addition to ADASUVE, Alexza has three other products at various stages in clinical development.
