Environmentally friendly pressurised Metered Dose Inhaler to be developed

The first carbon minimal pressurised Metered Dose Inhaler (pMDI) for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be developed.

Chiesi, which will produce the environmentally friendly inhaler, revealed its plan to bring the drug delivery system to the market by the end of 2025. The pharmaceutical company will invest €350 million to bring a new formulation to the market, to reduce the carbon footprint of pMDIs by 90 percent.

To achieve this, Chiesi will use HFA 152a (1,1-difluoroethane) as a sustainable medical propellant, which will decrease the carbon footprint of the pDMI to a similar level as a dry powder inhaler (DPI).

Ugo Di Francesco, Chiesi Group CEO, said: “We believe protecting patient health and the environment should not be a matter of compromise. We are proud to supply both pMDIs and DPIs and to have taken decisive and ambitious action to ensure patients can continue to access the inhaler options that best suit their needs, whilst innovating to find the most environmentally conscious solution available. Switching treatments for non-clinical reasons has the potential to have a negative impact on patients’ health, as well as placing an added strain on resources. Patients should not have to shoulder the burden of environmental responsibility when considering treatment options that affect their health. In the face of a global climate crisis, we must all share the burden of action. I can only encourage other industry players to join us.”

The company is the first to announce a plan to make an inhaler that addresses the issue of carbon emissions.