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INDUSTRY NEWS

A new dry-powder inhaler from Valois Pharma was developed with a patient-based design approach.

Dry-powder inhalers (DPIs) are very popular with patients suffering from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for one simple reason: Unlike pressurized metered-dose inhalers, they do not require the user to time his or her breathing with the drug intake. Seeing a market opportunity, Valois Pharma (Marly-le-Roi, France) has developed a new DPI that, the company says, strikes a perfect balance between ease of use and performance.

The Prohaler was developed with a patient-based design approach. Getting the drug to the lungs requires only three easy steps: opening the device, breathing in the drug, and closing the device. A counter reminds the patient of the number of doses left in the Prohaler, which incorporates visual and audible feedback systems.

Valois Pharma’s powder-dispersion technology enables high lung deposition even under low flow-rate conditions. A built-in safety feature prevents double doses and wasted doses. The drug itself is protected inside individual blisters that are only opened by the patient’s inhalation.

The product is protected by more than 35 patents and patent applications.

To find out more, contact Valois Pharma, 50 avenue de l’Europe, 78100 Marly-le-Roi, France; phone: +33 1 39172041; fax: +33 1 39581298; Internet: www.valois.com.