 |
| Propeller Health's mobile platform--Courtesy of Propeller Health |
Propeller Health knows that M&A is key to staying ahead in a competitive smart inhaler environment, and the company recently added another deal to its slate. Propeller is teaming up with remote patient monitoring outfit AMC Health to roll out a program aimed at improving drug adherence for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The deal, which the companies signed in January, will include two marketing components and a clinical research study that looks at barriers to patient adherence at large health plans across the U.S. AMC Health will use Propeller's smart inhaler to gather data about how often patients take their meds. The companies plan on launching its first initiatives this month.
"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. "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."
Propeller and AMC Health are "actively recruiting" other plans to participate, the companies said. New customers can sign up with Propeller or through the new partnership with AMC Health.
Propeller has been making waves with its sensor technology the past couple of years. The product, which attaches to two different inhalers, tracks when patients take their medication. A Bluetooth radio transmits the data to a smartphone, and an accompanying app provides data readouts.
Madison, WI-based Propeller got FDA clearance for a smaller version of the system in 2014. The same year, the company reeled in $14.5 million in a Series B round led by Safeguard Scientifics ($SFE) to ramp up product development and marketing.
Propeller has kept the dealmaking ball rolling since then, especially with pharma companies interested in improving drug adherence. In February 2015, Propeller said it would work with Aptar Pharma to develop an integrated smart inhaler. In July, Propeller nabbed FDA clearance to sell its sensor along with GlaxoSmithKline's ($GSK) Diskus inhalers.
Propeller is also working with pharma giant Boehringer Ingelheim on smart inhaler development. Propeller already has an FDA OK to sell its patient tracking and sensors with Boehringer's Respimat inhaler for COPD. Earlier this year, the companies expanded their deal with plans for a new program. The 12-month initiative monitors how smart inhaler tools affect drug adherence and patient engagement.
- read the statement
Special Report: FierceMedicalDevices' 2015 Fierce 15 – Propeller Health