CHIPPENHAM, United Kingdom and MADISON, Wis., May 24,
2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vectura Group plc (LSE: VEC) and
Propeller Health, the leading digital health solution for
respiratory medicine, today announced a collaboration to develop
inhalers that combine Vectura's proven dry powder inhaler ("DPI")
technology with Propeller's FDA-cleared digital health
platform.
Vectura is a leading respiratory pharmaceutical company
providing a range of pre-metered foil blister-based dry powder
inhalers developed to meet patients' needs in inhalation therapy.
The initial focus of the collaboration will be the development of
an add-on sensor for Vectura's lever-operated multi-dose inhaler
(LOMI). Patients with a Propeller-connected LOMI device will be
more engaged with their care and better equipped to understand
their disease and improve self-management.
The LOMI device leverages key attributes from Vectura's
GyroHaler® device:
- Familiar user interface
- Foil blister strips of up to 60 pre-metered doses
- Used blister strip within device
- Key drug delivery components (especially drug contact
components) sourced from GyroHaler®
Propeller provides the leading digital health platform for
asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). With
information from connected inhalers like LOMI, and its companion
analytics and digital interfaces, Propeller helps individuals and
their physicians improve the management and control of respiratory
disease. The platform is used by more than 40 leading healthcare
organizations across the US.
The companies are also discussing additional connected
strategies for other proprietary respiratory devices in Vectura's
pipeline.
James Ward-Lilley CEO, Vectura, commented:
"This announcement demonstrates Vectura's commitment to
develop next generation inhalation devices that can help patients
manage their respiratory diseases better. Adherence to therapy is
one of the major issues driving poor maintenance management of
these chronic conditions. There is increasing evidence of the value
of intelligent sensor technology significantly enabling a reduction
of symptoms, including exacerbations and long term healthcare
utilisation costs. This collaboration is a first step towards
Vectura embracing a connected solution for all our devices"
David Van Sickle, CEO,
Propeller Health, commented:
"Digital health has the potential to make respiratory
therapies more personal, powerful and convenient for every patient.
We are excited to work with the team at Vectura to realize these
benefits in a new generation of inhalers"
About Vectura
Vectura is an independent pharmaceutical product development
company that focuses on the development of inhaled pharmaceutical
therapies for the treatment of diseases that affect or can be
treated with drugs that act on the airways (airways diseases),
incorporating inhaled device formulation and clinical development.
This segment of the pharmaceutical market includes significant
indications such as asthma and COPD, in addition to a wide range of
other indications including cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis and
other diseases of the lung.
Vectura has eight(1) products marketed by
partners with growing global royalty streams and a portfolio of
drugs in clinical development, a number of which have been licensed
to major pharmaceutical companies. Vectura has development
collaborations and licence agreements with several global
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Hikma
(through its wholly-owned subsidiary, West-Ward Pharmaceuticals),
Novartis, Sandoz, Baxter, GSK, UCB, Ablynx, Grifols, Janssen and
Tianjin KingYork Group Company.
Vectura has established a pipeline focused on airways diseases,
where all programmes are justified on the basis of technical
feasibility and commercial attractiveness. The focus of Vectura's
internal resource allocation is on Vectura's wholly-owned assets,
in particular VR475 and VR647.
(1) Advate® came off patent at the end of
January 2016. Vectura does not expect
to receive any material royalties from that product during its
financial year ending 31 March 2017,
or thereafter.
For further information, please visit Vectura's website at
www.vectura.com.
About Propeller Health
Founded in 2010, Propeller is
the leading provider of an FDA-cleared digital health platform that
helps reduce the cost of care while delivering better quality of
life for individuals with chronic respiratory disease. Propeller
provides better engagement, communication, and more insightful and
personalized care. Backed by Safeguard Scientifics (NYSE: SFE),
Social Capital, California HealthCare Foundation, Kapor Capital and
other investors, Propeller has been used by patients with asthma or
COPD in over 40 commercial programs across the US at major
healthcare systems, payers, employers and other commercial
partners. The company has been recognized as the recipient of the
American Telemedicine Association's 2016 President's Award for
Innovation in Remote Healthcare and as one of the top "Fierce 15"
medical device companies in 2015 by FierceMedicalDevices.
Recognition also includes TEDMED Innovation Showcase, White House
Champion of Change, and Bluetooth Breakthrough Product awards.
Visit http://propellerhealth.com/contact/ to request more
information.
Forward-looking statements
This press
release contains forward-looking statements, including statements
about the discovery, development and commercialisation of products.
Various risks may cause Vectura's actual results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements, including: adverse results in clinical development
programmes; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions;
commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by
third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to
develop and commercialise products and services; difficulties or
delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and
services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for
substantial funding to conduct research and development and to
expand commercialisation activities; and product initiatives by
competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors
are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We
disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
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SOURCE Propeller Health