Respirion Pharmaceuticals

What Respirion Pharmaceuticals does

Respirion Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd is an early-stage, privately held biotechnology company founded in 2018 in Perth, Australia, as a spinout from the Telethon Kids Institute. The company is developing RSP-1502, a single-asset inhaled combination therapy for chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients, pairing the FDA-approved antibiotic tobramycin with a novel biofilm-disruption agent (Tris-CaEDTA) delivered via an ultra-efficient vibrating mesh nebulizer that compresses treatment time to 5-10 minutes. Respirion operates dual headquarters in Joondalup, Western Australia and an operations office in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, with a lean team of 1-10 employees.

The company's core business model is pharmaceutical product sales contingent on regulatory approval, with no current revenue and pricing to be determined at launch. Respirion is currently advancing RSP-1502 through a Phase 2a efficacy study across 21 clinical sites in Australia and the United States, coordinated through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Development Network, following successful Phase 1b completion in October 2025. Early patient data demonstrated a 400x greater reduction in bacterial load and a 16% average improvement in lung function (versus 5% for tobramycin alone).

Respirion is financially backed by the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund's Biomedical Translation Fund (MRCF BTF), managed by Brandon Capital Partners (up to AU$20M in staged commitments), the US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (up to US$3M), and Australian government grants including the ESTAC grant via CUREator by Brandon BioCatalyst (May 2024) and Future Health Research and Innovation (November 2025). The go-to-market posture is enterprise clinical development with potential future expansion into broader respiratory infection indications beyond cystic fibrosis.

Name

Respirion Pharmaceuticals

Legal name

Respirion Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd

Website

https://respirionpharma.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Respirion Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage Australian biotech developing RSP-1502, an inhaled combination therapy pairing tobramycin with a proprietary biofilm-disruption agent to treat chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients, currently in Phase 2a trials across Australia and the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cystic Fibrosis Therapeutics

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Infectious Disease & Antimicrobials Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Infectious Disease Specialty Pharmaceuticals (Non-vaccine) (HLAIACAM), Clinical Development (Phase I–III Trial Design & Execution) (HLAIALAE)

Keywords

• Inhaled antibiotics
• Cystic fibrosis therapy
• Biofilm disruption
• Nebulizer drug delivery
• Respiratory therapeutics

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Sales: Early-stage biotech company developing RSP-1502 for Cystic Fibrosis. No revenue currently; will generate revenue through pharmaceutical product sales upon regulatory approval.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Respirion Pharmaceuticals is developing RSP-1502, an inhaled antibiotic combination therapy for cystic fibrosis that combines the FDA-approved antibiotic tobramycin with a proprietary biofilm disruption agent (Tris-CaEDTA). The therapy is delivered via an ultra-efficient vibrating mesh nebulizer that reduces treatment time to 5–10 minutes and is being evaluated in Phase 2a clinical trials across Australia and the United States for chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections in CF patients.

Product overview

Respirion Pharmaceuticals is a single-product biotech company developing RSP-1502, an inhaled combination therapy for cystic fibrosis. The product combines an FDA-approved antibiotic (tobramycin) with a proprietary biofilm disruption agent, delivered via vibrating mesh nebulizer. This novel treatment addresses the unmet medical need of chronic lung infections in CF patients by disrupting antibiotic-resistant bacterial biofilms, and is advancing through Phase 2a clinical trials in Australia and the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RSP-1502 Inhaled antibiotic combination therapy for cystic fibrosis patients with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections; combines FDA-approved tobramycin with a proprietary biofilm disruption agent (Tris-CaEDTA) and is delivered via an ultra-efficient vibrating mesh nebulizer with a 5–10 minute treatment time. Clinical studies have shown improved bacterial clearance and lung function versus tobramycin alone. Currently in Phase 2a clinical development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400x greater reduction in bacterial load compared to tobramycin alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• Telethon Kids InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2019Respirion is a spinout from the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth where the technology was incubated and the product development originated. The institute conducted initial clinical studies in conjunction with WA Health showing improved bacterial clearance and lung function.
• Western Australian Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2019Partnered with WA Health for initial product testing and clinical studies. The preliminary clinical study was conducted in conjunction with the Telethon Kids Institute and WA Health.
• The Kids Research Institute AustraliasupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2019Funding and research partner for the clinical development program, supporting Phase 1b/2a clinical study.
• The Perth Children's Hospital FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2019Funding partner supporting the clinical development program and research initiatives.
• CF Foundation Therapeutics Development NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2019Clinical studies are conducted in coordination with the CF Foundation Therapeutics Development Network, the largest CF clinical trial network in the world. This network provides access to clinical trial infrastructure and expertise for Phase 2a efficacy studies.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Vertex dominates CF therapeutics with Trikafta/Kaftrio (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor), the standard-of-care CFTR modulator. While their mechanism is different from RSP-1502, they dictate the CF treatment landscape and pricing environment Respirion will eventually operate in.
• AbbVie: AbbVie markets Pulmozyme (dornase alfa), an inhaled chronic CF therapy. As a large respiratory/specialty pharma incumbent, they set expectations for inhaled CF therapeutics pricing, formulary access, and physician adoption.
• Viatris (formerly Mylan/Viatris Mylan): Through legacy Mylan, Viatris distributes generic inhaled tobramycin (TOBI) — the same antibiotic backbone used in RSP-1502. As the established generic inhaled tobramycin supplier, they are the incumbent RSP-1502 would need to clinically differentiate against.
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries: Teva markets inhaled respiratory products including generic tobramycin inhalation solution, positioning them as both a comparator and potential commercial partner for inhaled antibiotic combinations in CF and broader indications.

Direct peers

• Insmed Inc. Insmed commercializes Arikayce (inhaled liposomal amikacin), the leading inhaled antibiotic for chronic refractory lung infections (MAC). Most directly comparable business model: late-stage inhaled antibiotic targeting chronic lung biofilms with orphan-disease economics.
• Savara Pharmaceuticals: Savara is a clinical-stage respiratory biotech developing inhaled therapies (e.g., molgramostim inhalation solution) for serious lung diseases including autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Closely comparable as a small-cap, inhaled respiratory drug developer.

Emerging players

• Parion Sciences: Parion develops epithelial sodium channel inhibitors and inhaled therapies for CF and other respiratory diseases. Comparable as a small, science-driven inhaled respiratory drug developer focused on CF.
• Aldeyra Therapeutics: Aldeyra is a clinical-stage biotech developing therapies for immune-mediated diseases including ocular and respiratory indications. Comparable as a small-cap, clinical-stage company pursuing specialty respiratory indications with novel mechanisms.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/respirion-pharmaceuticals-pty-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Respirion Pharmaceuticals