Propeller Health said today it inked a collaborative development deal with inhaled pharmaceutical company Vectura Group to develop a digitally-connected inhaler system.
Through the collaboration, the companies will combine Vectura’s dry powder inhaler with Propeller’s digital health platform. Initial development will focus on an add-on sensor for Vectura’s lever-operated multi-dose inhaler, U.K.-based Vectura said.
“This announcement demonstrates Vectura’s commitment to develop next generation inhalation devices that can help patients manage their respiratory diseases better. Adherence to therapy is one of the major issues driving poor maintenance management of these chronic conditions. There is increasing evidence of the value of intelligent sensor technology significantly enabling a reduction of symptoms, including exacerbations and long term healthcare utilisation costs. This collaboration is a first step towards Vectura embracing a connected solution for all our devices,” Vectura CEO James Ward-Lilley said in a press release.
The new sensor would allow patients using the improved LOMI device to be more connected with their treatment and could improve self-management, the company said.
“Digital health has the potential to make respiratory therapies more personal, powerful and convenient for every patient. We are excited to work with the team at Vectura to realize these benefits in a new generation of inhalers,” Propeller Health CEO David Van Sickle said in a prepared statement.
The companies said they are also discussing additional development for other respiratory devices in Vectura’s pipeline.
Last December, Propeller Health said it inked a deal with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) to develop a sensor for GSK’s Ellipta dry powder inhaler.
Through the non-exclusive agreement, the 1st between the 2 companies, Propeller will develop and manufacture a custom sensor for the Ellipta inhaler for use in clinical studies of the device used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The sensor will be designed to automatically collect and record data on inhaler usage and transmit the information wirelessly to a data repository for GlaxoSmithKline to analyze. GSK hopes the sensor will help it analyze adherence patterns across patient populations to more accurately understand the correlation of ahderence with other outcomes.
