Propeller Health said today that it landed a collaborative agreement with Novartis (NYSE:NVS) to develop a custom add-on sensor for the Breezhaler inhaler. The partnership is focused on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Europe.
The Breezhaler is a capsule-based, dry powder inhaler and is a part of Novartis’ portfolio of COPD therapies. The custom sensors developed as a result of this collaboration will passively record and transmit compliance data, according to Propeller, which will better inform patients and physicians of adherence.
“We’re excited to work with the team at Novartis to connect the Breezhaler device to the Propeller platform. The addition of this major respiratory franchise represents an important next step in our mission to bring valuable digital companions to everyone’s respiratory treatments,” Propeller CEO David Van Sickle said in prepared remarks. “With data from these medication sensors and interfaces, Propeller strengthens the relationships between patients and their physicians and helps them build effective treatment programs together.”
In December, Propeller inked a deal with Medical International Research to integrate MIR’s mobile and clinical spirometers into the Propeller system.
A month earlier, the company said that it won 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market its Propeller platform with GlaxoSmithKline‘s (NYSE:GSK) Ellipta inhaler. A sensor for the dry powder inhaler was built as a part of a 1 year-long development and R&D collaboration between Propeller and GSK.
This marked the 8th clearance for Propeller’s connected inhaler platform.
The Madison, Wisconsin-based company won CE Mark approval and Health Canada registration for the use of its connected platform with the Ellipta inhaler earlier last year.
