Better Control for Asthma Sufferers

An electronic metered dose counter, activated by the patient's breath, can help parents, the elderly, and caregivers monitor how many doses have been delivered of inhaled medications.

The MD Turbo, developed by Respirics (Raleigh, NC, USA), is marketed by Teamm Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Accentia Biopharmaceuticals (Tampa, FL, USA). The new counter is designed to more reliably deliver a specific amount of medication to the user's lungs. The device addresses two key issues: it coordinates the activation of the canister with the user's breathing in, and it includes an electronic dose counter that shows how much medication is left in the canister. MD Turbo has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Handheld and battery-powered, it can be used with most inhalers, and has an expected lifetime of one year.

We are launching MD Turbo to help as many as possible of the 35 million patients in the U.S. with respiratory conditions who depend on drugs delivered into the lungs by metered dose inhalers (MDIs),” said Dr. Frank O'Donnell, CEO of Accentia Biopharmaceuticals. "The MD Turbo was specifically designed to remedy the two major shortcomings of these metered dose inhaler devices.

Over 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma or other pulmonary diseases, and rely on inhalers that dispense the drug in metered doses. However an estimated 70% of MDI users are not able to get the relief they need because they are not using them properly. Published studies have shown that when the inhaler is not used correctly, much of the intended drug dose is deposited in the back of the throat instead of being properly delivered to the lungs.



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