Developing inhalation devices with the patients, from early-stage to validation

Treating chronic respiratory diseases: a challenge for both patients and pharma providers.

Living with chronic respiratory diseases like Asthma ans COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is more than a challenge, not only because these pathologies affect the airways, causing breathing difficulties, but also because the correct use of the device to administer the treatment is not always easy for them.

Global recommendations on the management of asthma2 and COPD3 highlight the importance of ensuring patients are adherent to their prescribed long term dosing regimen. However, adherence remains a big challenge which stems majorly from improper utilization of inhalation devices as well as lack of learning and training.

Several studies have shown that inhaler technique errors made by patients are common in real life with both pMDIs and DPIs despite advances in inhaler device technology. A synthesis of them gives the below split of inhalation technique observed in patients: 30% have a correct one, 40% have an acceptable one and 30% have a poor technic.

Training patients on the correct use of their inhaler can reduce the number of technique errors, but it may not be sufficient to solve the problem. Then, a better management of chronic respiratory therapies could be achieved by working on the inhalers ease of use or by giving real time feedback to the user on its technique to ensure more successful drug delivery.

Nemera understands the challenges encountered by patients living with chronic respiratory diseases and their difficulties of correctly using existing inhalers every day.
In order to design and develop a user-friendly and high-performing device, answering patients’ and technical needs, the only viable solution is to develop the device with the patients, from the early-stage phase to the final steps of validation. Patients’ opinions and feedback are crucial to ensure the best results on usability perspective, as they can offer ideas and inspiration based on their experience.