Propeller Health partners with Vectura in latest smart inhaler deal

Propeller Health's mobile platform--Courtesy of Propeller Health

Propeller Health has relied on dealmaking to expand in the smart inhaler field, and its latest move follows in the same vein. The company is partnering with Vectura Group to develop digitally connected sensors for chronic respiratory diseases.

Madison, WI-based Propeller and the U.K.'s Vectura will work together to create an add-on sensor for Vectura's lever-operated multidose inhaler (LOMI). The hope is that the device will help patients become "more engaged with their care and better equipped to understand their disease and improve self-management," the pair said in a statement.

Vectura already makes premetered foil blister-based dry powder inhalers. The new device with comprise a digital user interface, foil blister strips of up to 60 premetered doses, a used blister strip within the device and drug delivery components, Propeller and Vectura said. Companion analytics will allow patients and providers to monitor drug adherence.

"Adherence to therapy is one of the major issues driving poor maintenance management of these chronic conditions," Vectura CEO James Ward-Lilley said in a statement. "There is increasing evidence of the value of intelligent sensor technology significantly enabling a reduction of symptoms, including exacerbations and long term healthcare utilization costs. This collaboration is a first step towards Vectura embracing a connected solution for all our devices."

Propeller's deal with Vectura comes on the heels of more partnering. In February, Propeller Health said it would team up with Aptar Pharma to develop a pressurized metered dose inhaler with sensors and components that track how often patients use their inhaler.

In April, Propeller announced that it would work with remote patient monitoring company AMC Health to roll out a program aimed at improving drug adherence for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The deal includes a clinical study that will use Propeller's smart inhaler to gather data on drug adherence.

"Our commercial partnership begins with COPD which is a challenging disease to manage, and it becomes increasingly difficult as it progresses," Propeller CEO David Van Sickle said in a statement at the time. "Most COPD patients are also burdened by comorbidities. Our partnership with AMC Health aims to help leading healthcare systems overcome these challenges through a more connected approach to care."

- read the statement

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