3M Drug Delivery Systems is joining the connected inhaler market with the 3M Intelligent Control Inhaler, a fully-integrated device that delivers accurate doses to asthma and COPD patients, whilst providing on-screen instructions for use and feedback to the patient and health care provider via an app.
“Providing an effective and intuitive delivery method for respiratory disease treatment is critical to patients, healthcare providers and payers alike,” Louise Righton, Global Marketing Operations Manager at 3M Drug Delivery Systems, said in a statement. “Poor technique in using an inhaler, coupled with the challenges of getting patients to adhere to their medication protocols, can lead to exacerbations, increased use of health care resources and ultimately, a burden on health care systems. By increasing competence and adherence, we can realize better patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.”
The 3M Intelligent Control Inhaler offers controlled inspiration, integrated patient instructions, along with the ability to capture inspiration data through a connected phone or tablet. 3M will be deploying the device in partnership with an unnamed pharmaceutical company (or more of them), and expects it to be in wide use by the end of the decade.
Beyond 3M, we’ve seen other companies in the connected inhaler space, including Adherium, Cohero Health, Nexus6 and Propeller Health.