Avista Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm, recently announced it has committed to invest $48.5 million in OptiNose, which has developed an innovative nasal drug delivery technology that enables administration of drugs deep in the nasal cavity, enabling the treatment of both local and systemic disease. In conjunction with this investment, OptiNose will reincorporate in the US and move its headquarters from Oslo, Norway, to Yardley, PA.

OptiNose, which was founded by Dr. Per Djupesland in 2000, has extensively tested its nasal drug delivery device under the leadership of the current CEO, Helena Kyttari Djupesland. The company recently completed Phase II clinical studies for chronic rhinosinusitis with polyposis, chronic rhinosinusitis without polyposis, and migraine therapies with positive results. Avista’s investment will support Phase III trials and enable OptiNose to build out its clinical development and commercialization infrastructure. WFD Ventures, a New York-based venture capital firm specializing in medical technology investing, will also maintain a significant stake in the company and continue to actively support the development program.

Peter Miller, the President and former Chief Executive Officer of Take Care Health Systems, a business Mr. Miller co-founded and sold to Walgreens, has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of the company and will serve on the OptiNose Board of Directors. Prior to joining Take Care Health Systems, Mr. Miller spent over a decade at Johnson & Johnson in senior executive positions.

“OptiNose's technology is extremely promising for the indications slated to begin

Phase III trials and for a wide variety of other applications,” said Larry Pickering, an Avista healthcare industry executive who will become the new Chairman of OptiNose. “We look forward to supporting the company as it enters these trials with a low risk development pathway. I have known Mr. Miller since his time at Johnson & Johnson, and am convinced he is the ideal executive to lead this company."

"I am very excited about the opportunity to lead a company that has core technology with such strong potential, and to work with the talented OptiNose team and a group of investors with such a history of success,” added Mr. Miller. “OptiNose's devices deliver intranasal drugs in a completely new way to targeted regions of the nasal cavity, including the sinuses and the olfactory region, without lung deposition. I believe this technology provides a broad platform for delivering significant value to patients, physicians, and payers, with potential applications in pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and OTC products."

"We are delighted to welcome Peter Miller and Avista Capital Partners to the OptiNose team,” said Dr. and Ms. Djupesland. “We strongly believe in our technology, which solves many of the common problems associated with current nasal drug delivery techniques. With Mr. Miller’s leadership and healthcare background, and the support and deep healthcare experience offered by Avista and WFD Ventures, we are confident in our ability to leverage our device's potential with many compounds."

OptiNose is a drug delivery company with breakthrough technology set to transform the static nasal drug delivery market. The company was founded in 2000 to commercialize a novel nasal drug delivery system that achieves targeted delivery to sites that are poorly accessed by existing nasal sprays. The technology is unparalleled in its ability to effectively deliver drugs to specific sites within the nose, while uniquely preventing drug distribution to the lungs.