Targeting mucus plugs to improve lung health


Aer Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutic solutions for muco-obstructive lung diseases. 

Aer Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutic solutions for muco-obstructive lung diseases. 

Aer Therapeutics is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel inhaled approach to treat lung disease with excess mucus and mucus plugs.

We are focused on treating respiratory diseases with significant unmet needs, such as COPD, cystic fibrosis and asthma.

The Problem

Between 30 and 50% of COPD patients in GOLD stages III and IV (severe and very severe COPD) suffer from airway obstruction caused by mucus plugs. Mucus plugs reduce lung function and diminish quality of life. There are no drugs approved to effectively liquify mucus plugs (mucolytics) in patients with COPD.

Additional muco-obstructive lung diseases include asthma, cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, and non–cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

The AER-01 Solution

AER-01 is a novel inhaled best-in-class therapeutic candidate designed to improve lung health by liquifying mucus plugs.

AER-01 is a thiol-modified carbohydrate (“thiol-saccharide”) which cleaves mucin disulfide bridges to liquefy (“lyse”) mucus plugs. 



Aer Therapeutics Team

We are led by an experienced management team with an established track record of success in the development of drug-candidates.

Irina Gitlin

Irina Gitlin, PhD


Vice President, Research and Development

Blair Capel

Blair Capel


Director of Finance

Rony Nasrallah

Rony Nasrallah


Manager, Program Management

Jordan Low

Jordan Low


Director of Clinical Operations

Our Focus

Design and development of thiol-saccharides as safe and effective mucolytic agents with favorable properties for inhaled delivery. Utilization of state-of-the art lung imaging and analysis approaches to identify COPD and asthma patients with clinically silent airway mucus plugs and to measure efficacy of thiol-saccharide mucolytics.