Novartis' Next-Gen COPD Device Gets Connected With Qualcomm
Novartis and Qualcomm are expanding their partnership in order to bring smart technology to next-generation inhalers. The proposed connected delivery device for Novartis’ portfolio of COPD therapies will allow patients and their caregivers to share data regarding treatment adherence and health outcomes.
Qualcomm subsidiary Qualcomm Life is designing a module that will be pre-attached to disposable Breezhaler devices. The module is low-powered and connects to Qualcomm’s 2net Platform, where patients can access their data in real time to track inhaler usage and quality of their inhalation. According to a Novartis press release, the data is uploaded automatically to the patient’s smartphone as well as to a cloud, where patients and potentially caregivers can monitor the information to better manage the disease.
“By enabling near real time data capture from the patient and the connected Breezhaler device, patients can monitor their own adherence to the medication they take, which is vital to their health outcomes,” said David Epstein, head of Novartis pharmaceuticals, who added that Novartis aims to be the first company to offer a completely integrated and connected delivery device for COPD therapy.
Astra Zeneca, Teva, and GlaxoSmithKline are just a few of the Big Pharma names in the race to develop and perfect a ‘smart’ inhaler, reported RT Magazine, and the FDA approved Propeller Health’s inhaler/app combination in 2014.
“This is an exciting time for health care as we see the proliferation of the Internet of Medical Things,” said Rick Valencia, senior VP and GM for Qualcomm Life, in a statement. “Through our expanded collaboration with Novartis, we are able to deliver a frictionless digital health experience to their COPD patients.”
Last year, Novartis selected Qualcomm Life to partner in their Trials of the Future program, aimed at collecting and aggregating data during clinical trials to improve trial efficiency. Together, the companies set up a $100 million investment fund for developing products that leverage digital technology into “beyond the pill” healthcare solutions.
“By working with Qualcomm Ventures, Novartis sees the opportunity to take a greater leadership role in introducing new mobile or digital technologies that have the potential to change the practice of medicine,” said Epstein, in a statement.
An Allied Market Research report released in 2014 projected that the global market for COPD and asthma devices would reach $34.3 billion by 2020, and the North American market was projected to be the most lucrative in terms of growth.
Epstein remarked, in a Q3 analyst call in 2014, that Switzerland-based Novartis had a chance to become a market leader in respiratory medicine, crediting what he called their “dynamite portfolio.” At the time, Epstein added that he and his team were still working out a strategy for the U.S. market.
According to the Qualcomm press release, the companies plan to launch the connected Breezhaler in 2019.