The Space Chamber compact spacer
Another new inhaler add-on on display was the Space Chamber compact spacer from Medical Developments International. The valves on the chamber allow for very low resistance to inspiration, and the end comes off to allow storage of the MDI inside the spacer.
The final session of the meeting, titled “Recent developments in respiratory technology” covered a range of topics, including “electrostatic stabilization of HFA pMDI suspensions by Alessandro Cavecchi of Novartis and optimization of particle sizing techniques by Chris Blatchford of 3M Drug Delivery Systems.
Richard Henderson of GSK presented “Update and Learnings from the ‘Complete the Cycle’ Campaign.” GSK’s “Complete the Cycle” inhaler recycling program began in 2011 as part of a trend towards more sustainable OINDPs, and was expanded to the US in 2012.
The Flo Tone trainer
Mark Sanders of Clement Clarke presented data showing the effectiveness of Clement Clarke’s Flo Tone pMDI add-on mouthpiece as both a mini-spacer and as a training tool. The device includes a precision whistle that sounds when the inspiratory flow reaches 30 L/min. According to a study conducted by the company, Sanders said, 81% of patients using the Flo Tone improved at least one aspect of their inhaler technique.
For the final presentation of the meeting Geralt Williams of Aptar Pharma spoke on behalf of the European Pharmaceutical Aerosol Group (EPAG) about developing a standard methodology for quantifying the fine particle mass of API for nasal products. EPAG has been working to satisfy the desire of regulators to have a standard method for measuring the amount of a nasal spray under 10µm. Williams described the organization’s experiments with combinations of various inlet ports and cascade impaction devices.
Gary Pitcairn closed the meeting with another request for suggestions and an invitation to DDL 25, the meeting’s “Silver Jubilee” to be held December 10-12, 2014.
