New inhaler launched with a bang
breath-actuated inhaler which uses a reservoir technology that
reduces the daily cost of pulmonary drug delivery.
The device, called Aspira, is a pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) designed for use with liquid drug formulations, including the treatment of diabetes.
It is estimated that 48m people in Europe have diabetes, with associated healthcare costs of approximately €256bn.
Recently, the first insulin inhaler, Pfizer's Exubera, was launched on the market creating a new opportunity for diabetics who have needlephobia or those who do not like taking the injectable form of insulin, so it is widely anticipated that the shift to a more cost-efficient drug delivery mechanism will represent a reduction in cost for the treatment of diabetics with inhaled insulin and could enable a wider population segment to avail of a more effective treatment.
"Aspira is a unique solution for the treatment of Diabetes, as it is optimized for improved drug delivery using a patented technology to reduce the flow rate," >Bang & Olufsen Medicom spokesman Christian Husegaard said at the launch of the device at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes conference in Copenhagen.
"In addition, it is a cost-effective alternative, due to a reservoir technology which reduces the daily cost of administering the treatment."
This automatic release of the medication from Aspira removes a large stumbling block for patients who have trouble co-ordinating their movements with conventional press-and-breath inhalers and is therefore especially suitable for children and the elderly.
Bang & Olufsen Medicom says Aspira holds a unique patent which reduces the particle flow rate, ensuring improved drug delivery to the lungs.
Another feature of Aspira is its integrated dose-counter, which can record up to 200 individual doses.
This is important for people who have difficulties tracking their medication and can help with patient compliance issues, as it will only register fired doses and will therefore reliably inform the patient of doses taken and remaining in the canister.
