Teva Pharmaceuticals recently announced that the DuoResp Spiromax® inhaler received the silver award at the 2015 Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA). These awards recognize the most significant developments in medical product design that can improve healthcare delivery quality. DuoResp Spiromax® (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) is a novel multi-dose dry-powder inhaler to manage both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“Innovative, patient-focused design is extremely important at a time when real-world behaviors and outcomes are what count. We are incredibly proud to be leading the way in providing people with asthma and COPD with inhalers that recognize and support their needs and long term health, and are delighted with this prestigious acknowledgment for DuoResp Spiromax,” noted Rob Koremans, who is the CEO and President of Teva Global Specialty Medicines.
The symptoms of many patients with asthma and COPD are inadequately controlled due to poor inhaler technique that can cause suboptimal outcomes concerning clinical practice and their daily lives.
DuoResp Spiromax® was developed to support improved inhaler technique and disease control. It includes a mixture of budesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid to address treatment to the underlying inflammation in COPD and in asthma, and formoterol fumarate dihydrate, a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist that provide relief of bronchoconstriction in those with asthma and COPD. The Spiromax® inhaler design includes a specific combination of features and delivers accurate drug delivery across inspiratory flow rates. DuoResp Spiromax® has received its marketing clearance from the European Commission on April 29, 2014 and is currently available to those that live in many countries across Europe.
There are currently 20 million people in the European Union that live their lives with asthma. Estimates point to 82,000 hospital admissions per year, which cost €33.9 billion. COPD affects 23 million Europeans, which results in 1.1 million hospital admissions per year plus direct and indirect costs of €48.4 billion.
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