What you need to know about the new direct marketing guidance note
Nadine Mather and Chloë Loubser
Innovative respiratory inhaler for Obstructive Airway Diseases
Cipla has announced that it is currently developing an innovative inhaler, which will bring important benefits for South African patients and physicians, as the inhaler holds three key benefits for the treatment of Obstructive Airway Diseases (OAD).
Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla Medpro
This novel, breath-actuated inhaler (BAI), called Synchrobreathe is expected to reach the local market in fourth quarter 2015, and will be launched first in South Africa.
Three benefits
"Firstly, it is very simple to use and eliminates coordination challenges, which is the biggest issue faced by South African patients using conventional pressurised metered dose inhalers," says Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla Medpro.
"Secondly, the inspiratory flow required to trigger the inhaler mechanism is low, which makes it attractive to a large number of patients, whether young, elderly or patients suffering from severe conditions.
"Finally, Synchrobreathe is a breath-actuated inhaler with a built-in dose counter, which allows patients to track doses, thereby encouraging patient compliance."
He points to a recent report by the Global Initiative for Asthma, which indicates that South Africa has the world's fourth highest asthma death rate among five to 35 year olds. Of the estimated 3.9 million South Africans with asthma, 1.5% dies of this condition annually.
"As a leading company in the area of respiratory health in South Africa, we are proud to announce the development of this innovation. The new product is in line with our commitment to bring innovative products and inhalers to best fit physicians' and patients' needs, thereby advancing healthcare for all."
Frank Pieters, Global Head of Respiratory for Cipla said, "Simple and intuitive, Synchrobreathe is an innovation in managing respiratory disease. It is attractive for patients, as the inhaler is easy to use effectively. Equally importantly, it will help cut the time healthcare providers need to spend in training patients in correct inhaler use. With this simple inhaler, the healthcare professional knows the patient will be able to use it easily and get the full benefit from every dose."
The development of Synchrobreathe was first announced at the South Africa Thoracic Society (SATS) Conference in Cape Town, South Africa (7-10 August 2015).
Related
