Heritage in Neonatology
Partnering with healthcare professionals to ensure that every newborn receives the best possible support from their very first breath.
Chiesi takes great pride in its 30-year legacy of close collaboration with healthcare professionals to address the real-world needs of newborns and their families. This partnership-driven approach empowers Chiesi to create and provide effective solutions that enhance patient outcomes. By maintaining ongoing dialogue and sharing expertise, Chiesi strives to lead in the field of neonatal care.
The history of CUROSURF:1,2
In 1959, Avery and Mead discovered that ‘hyaline membrane disease’ was caused by insufficient production of surfactants, leading to its renaming as RDS (Respiratory Distress Syndrome)
Early surfactant replacement trials failed because they only contained phospholipids and were insufficiently administered via nebulisation
Bengt Robertson and Göran Enhörning demonstrated that natural surfactant, containing both phospholipids and proteins, could improve RDS symptoms in immature rabbits
Bengt Robertson and Tore Curstedt developed a porcine surfactant, CUROSURF® (named after their surnames). It proved effective in immature animals and was used in a pilot clinical trial starting in 1983. The first trial in 1985 showed that CUROSURF reduced pulmonary air leaks and neonatal mortality in preterm infants with severe RDS. A second trial by Christian Speer demonstrated that multiple doses of CUROSURF were more effective than a single dose
In 1992, CUROSURF was introduced as a treatment for neonatal RDS
To date, more than 30 years after its introduction, CUROSURF has been given to an estimated 4-5 million infants, with at least 1 million of them surviving because of it. Currently, between 300,000-400,000 premature infants are treated with CUROSURF every year
About Curosurf and how it works in clinical practice?
Development of surfactant2
In 1980, a chance meeting at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, ignited a scientific collaboration that would revolutionise neonatal care. Bengt Robertson, who had been pioneering in vivo and in vitro models for testing surfactant preparations, joined forces with Tore Curstedt, an expert in isolating and separating hydrophobic compounds, particularly phospholipids. Together, they embarked on a mission to create a surfactant that could be produced in large quantities to combat neonatal RDS.
As they worked on developing a porcine surfactant, fate intervened in a dramatic way. The Head of the Children’s Department at Saint Göran’s Hospital in Stockholm approached them with an urgent plea: a preterm infant, born at just 29 weeks and weighing only 1140 grams, was on the brink of death from severe RDS. Conventional treatments had failed, and the infant’s condition was rapidly deteriorating. With no time to lose, Robertson and Curstedt agreed to administer their experimental surfactant. In a near-miraculous turn of events, the infant, who had been struggling with cyanosis and required 85% oxygen, began to turn pink almost immediately after receiving the surfactant intratracheally. Within just two hours, the infant was breathing with only room air—a moment that confirmed the life-saving potential of their discovery.
Bengt Robertson (left)
and Tore Curstedt (right)
Paolo Chiesi
Energised by this success, the duo decided it was time to give their surfactant a proper name, moving away from its clinical label, GNSA. They combined the first two letters of their surnames, creating the name CUROSURF (poractant alfa), a tribute to their shared vision and groundbreaking achievement.
The first European randomised controlled clinical trial for CUROSURF commenced in early 1985, and as the trials expanded, it became clear that they needed a pharmaceutical partner to bring their innovation to the world; however, their quest met with initial disappointment as several large Swedish pharmaceutical companies declined, deeming the potential profits too small. But fortune smiled on them once again in 1987, when they met Paolo Chiesi of Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA in Parma, Italy. This partnership blossomed into a long-standing and highly successful collaboration, propelling CUROSURF to the forefront of neonatal care.
Without the unwavering support of Chiesi, the development and global success of CUROSURF might have remained a distant dream. Thanks to this partnership, CUROSURF has saved countless lives, and Chiesi’s commitment to neonatology endures to this day.
Neonatology Education,
Skills and Training
Chiesi is committed to advancing medical education with innovative and comprehensive training programmes, aiming to equip HCPs with the essential knowledge, skills, and expertise to thrive in the dynamic field of neonatology.
In investing in your professional growth and staying at the forefront of a rapidly evolving medical landscape!
Abbreviations
HCP, healthcare professional, RDS, Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
References
- Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB. Available at https://ki.se/en/collaboration/industry-collaborations/20-years-of-innovation-karolinska-institutet/the-man-who-has-saved-the-lives-of-a-million-babies. Accessed September 2024.
- Curstedt T, Halliday HL, Speer CP. A Unique Story in Neonatal Research: The Development of a Porcine Surfactant. Neonatology 2015;107(4):321–329.
IE-NEO-2400140 | December 2024
Adverse event reporting
For the UK: Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/ or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. Adverse events should also be reported to Chiesi Limited on 0800 0092329 (UK) or PV.UK@Chiesi.com.
For Ireland: Adverse events should be reported to HPRA Pharmacovigilance – www.hpra.ie. Adverse events should also be reported to Chiesi Limited on 1800 817459 (IE) or PV.UK@Chiesi.com.