Pneuma Respiratory's digital soft mist device can deliver different types of medicines to the lungs

Pneuma Respiratory has developed the first fully digital, soft mist inhaler. Early clinical studies have shown that the platform can effectively deliver a number of different types of medicines to the lungs.

Pneuma's integrated device uses electronic breath actuation and a soft mist ejector. As a patient inhales, the ejector senses the breath and activates automatically. This allows the medication droplets to ride into the lungs on the patients' breath, without propellants.

A new delivery platform

Paired with a mobile app, the device is capable of delivering real-time dose verification data. Dose verification is important for health systems, doctors and patients who are concerned with drug use and compliance.

Two clinical studies with COPD patients using small-molecule asthma and COPD medications validated the platform using bronchodilation as the outcome. Pre-clinical binding studies have further demonstrated the ability of the platform to deliver large, complex biologics that are pharmacologically intact.

"More than 40 million people suffer from asthma or COPD in the U.S. It's well documented that patients have problems adopting the correct inhaler technique and thus receiving the expected dose of medication both with dry powder and existing metered-dose inhalers," said James Bauler, director of business development at Pneuma Respiratory. "With a proven team of technology and health care leaders, Pneuma expects to make significant gains in pulmonary drug delivery."

Pneuma targets additional treatments

A novel part of Pneuma Respiratory's digital soft mist device is its ability to deliver different sized droplets of medicine via its droplet ejector technology. This will allow the device to potentially target different areas of the lungs.

A patent-protected platform with the ability to deliver large-molecule drugs could provide the company an opportunity to disrupt the fast-growing $252 billion biologics market.

"The breath actuation and electronic ejection creates a lot of possibilities for practitioners," said Dr. Guangxi Li of Mayo Clinic. "While we're currently focused on creating improved therapeutic treatments by delivering off-patent, proven asthma and COPD medicines, we see tremendous potential to lead the successful delivery of large molecule drugs through the lungs."