Drug Delivery Systems Provider Introduces Versatile DPI for Fast Growing Markets

Aptar Pharma Prescription division presented Twister, its latest dry powder inhaler (DPI), at international trade fair Pharmapack Europe.

It is estimated by the WHO that worldwide, some 300 million people suffer from asthma and 240 million people suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The cost of these diseases to the US healthcare system is estimated at $50.2 billion for asthma and $32.1 billion for COPD.

The majority of asthma and COPD treatment sales in the US and Europe come from drugs delivered by DPIs. In the fast growing markets of Asia and Latin America, asthma has been treated predominantly with pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs), which in many countries are still considered to be more cost-effective than DPIs.

DPIs represent 50% of the total asthma/COPD market by value worldwide, with most growth seen historically in the US and Europe. Aptar Pharma is anticipating that this DPI growth trend will spread to fast growing markets, driven by the healthcare reforms that are making asthma and COPD diagnosis and medication more available to patients.

Expectations of patients and pneumologists regarding DPIs in fast growing markets have evolved. They are now increasingly focusing on convenience and ease of use, favouring a compact and simple design. DPIs should be of good quality to ensure a long life, and be recyclable when they need to be replaced.

Twister is a new, capsule-based DPI, designed specifically to address unmet medical needs in fast growing markets. During its development by a dedicated Aptar Pharma multi-disciplinary technical team, Twister was tested and validated with a number of different dry powder drug formulations. Twister has a simple and robust design with few components, making it cost-attractive for asthma and COPD treatments in fast growing markets.

Twister is designed to be patient-friendly and easy to use, allowing patients easy access to their medication in three simple steps — insert, twist and inhale. To help improve patient compliance with the prescribed treatment, Twister is transparent, allowing the capsule and powder to be seen in the device as they are processed. In addition to these visual cues, the patient is also guided by audible feedback during inhalation.

Development of Twister by an international Aptar Pharma project team started in France and continued in China where industrial manufacturing now takes place. Twister, which is registered as a medical device by the sFDA, is moulded and assembled in a class ISO 7 cleanroom at the Aptar Pharma production facility in Suzhou, China.

Aptar Pharma, www.aptarpharma.com/pharma.