Orion’s Easyhaler, Propeller’s Digital Platform Will Help Monitor COPD, Asthma Treatment

Orion and Propeller Health have established a collaboration to offer a custom sensor and mobile app to digitally monitor medication use with Easyhaler — a metered-dose dry powder inhaler for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.

Developed by Orion and available across Europe, Easyhaler is a line of inhalers that use inhaled therapeutics for COPD and asthma treatment. The Easyhaler is available with four different medicines: beclometasone, budesonide, salbutamol, and a budesonide/formoterol combination.

With this collaboration, Orion’s Easyhaler line will be combined with Propeller’s digital medicine platform, which already covers more than 90 percent of the inhaled COPD/asthma medicines on the market.

“By connecting Easyhaler to Propeller’s digital platform, we are giving our patients and their providers a new ability to improve the user experience of Easyhaler products and help patients better adhere to the treatments,” Satu Ahomäki, senior vice president of commercial operations at Orion, said in a press release. “We are thrilled to take this step to reduce the burden of asthma and COPD via a digital companion to our medicine.”

With this collaboration, Propeller Health can expand access to its digital medicine technology, especially in Europe.

“This partnership with Orion is another significant step toward reducing the burden of chronic respiratory disease for people around the world,” said David Van Sickle, co-founder and CEO of Propeller Health.

As part of the collaboration, a small custom-built sensor is being developed to connect the Easyhaler line to Propeller’s digital platform. The sensor will be attached to the inhaler, and paired with a mobile app to keep track of medication use. The app will help patients and physicians better manage treatment regimen and personalize it based on the patient’s inhaler use, thus improving quality of life.

The development of the sensor and clinical trials to test its efficacy and safety are expected to start this year.

The companies also plan to initiate real-world evidence projects to assess the advantages and risks associated with the use of Propeller’s digital medicine platform together with the Easyhaler line in patients with COPD and asthma.