Respirics to sell-off MD Turbo technology
its assets relating to its MD Turbo product to focus on its
Acu-Breathe powder inhaler platform.
MD Turbo is the company's first commercial product and is a companion device to assist patients who use pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDI) for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to the company, up to 70 per cent of patients are unable to coordinate their inhalation with the firing of their pMDI canister which leads to them receiving inappropriate dosages from their inhaler. The MD Turbo relieves this problem by coordinating MDI actuation with the patient's breath using the company's i-Point technology (predetermined inspiratory pressure activation). "MD Turbo is a helpful product and we've received a lot of very positive feedback about the value it can bring to patients who use inhalers," said Gilbert Mott, CEO of Respirics. "The product has been on the market for a year, and we believe it deserves to be in the hands of a company with resources to vigorously promote it. Consequently, we've decided to sell MD Turbo so the product can receive the attention it merits." The MD Turbo, which was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005, also keeps tabs on the number of doses remaining in a wide range of different inhalers. In March 2003, the FDA made it mandatory for new pMDIs to incorporate dose counters or indicator mechanisms making this second feature invaluable for those companies who do not want to redesign their pMDIs. After the company has found a new home for its MD Turbo product, it will focus on solely its latest product, the Acu-Breathe dry powder inhaler. Dry powder inhalers have become the fastest growing segment of the dynamic respiratory pharmaceutical industry, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the US market. These inhalers traditionally have a major drawback in that the dose received varies with the intensity of the patient's breath. According to Respirics, the Acu-Breathe products also use the i-Point technology to offer "improved delivery consistency and efficiency" by not allowing a dose to be released until the user achieves a set inhalation flow rate. The company claims that the Acu-Breathe has the capability to deliver two drugs simultaneously to improve customer compliance as well as having the ability to target drug delivery to either the upper or lower airways by using an adjustable flow rate trigger point.
