Respimat® re-usable inhaler wins 2020 Pharmapack Eco-Design Award

Ingelheim, Germany, Thu, 02/06/2020 - 08:30

Respimat^® re-usable has a lower carbon footprint and reduces waste compared with single-use inhalers^1,2,3
The device has been designed with patient input and contains features that improve ease of handling and use⁴

Ingelheim, Germany, 06 February 2020 – Boehringer Ingelheim announced today that its Respimat^® re-usable inhaler device is the winner of the 2020 Pharmapack Eco-Design Award. The Pharmapack Awards celebrate the latest innovations from packaging companies within the drugs, medical devices, health products and veterinary drugs sectors.⁵

Respimat^® re-usable is an enhanced version of the well-established Respimat^® soft mist inhaler, providing benefits for the environment and patients.^1,4 It significantly reduces waste and product carbon footprint (PCF)^1,3,6– while most disposable plastic inhaler devices need to be replaced after the medication provided is used up, Respimat^® re-usable can be used with up to six medication cartridges before needing replacement.^7,8,9 Respimat^® is also propellant-free, meaning its CO2 emissions are 20 times lower than those of commonly used pressurized metered-dose inhalers.^1,3 By 2025, it is expected that 776 tons of plastic waste and 14,300 tons of CO2 emissions will be prevented as a result of Respimat® re-usable. 776 tons of plastic waste equals more than 77.6 million 0.5-liter PET bottles.¹⁰ It was also designed to offer simplified handling, with an easy-to-read dose indicator, better grip for daily use and easy assembly, taking into account patient feedback.¹¹

“We developed the Respimat^® re-usable inhaler as part of our commitment to help patients and provide benefits beyond treatment,” said Dr. Paola Casarosa, Head of Global Therapeutic Areas at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Respimat^® re-usable is the result of patient feedback, providing an inhaler with enhancements such as simplified handling and an easy-to-read dose indicator, and significantly reduced impact on the environment.¹¹ A very important aim of Boehringer Ingelheim is to lower greenhouse gases and reduce waste, so we’re proud to be recognized for our efforts in this area.”

Boehringer Ingelheim views safeguarding the planet as an essential prerequisite wherever possible and maintains a focus on environmental protection.¹² That is one of the major reasons Boehringer Ingelheim continues to invest in innovation and initiatives to protect the environment.¹²

Boehringer Ingelheim
Improving the health of humans and animals is the goal of the research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The focus in doing so is on diseases for which no satisfactory treatment option exists to date. The company therefore concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can extend patients’ lives. In animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim stands for advanced prevention.

Family-owned since it was established in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the pharmaceutical industry’s top 20 companies. Some 50,000 employees create value through innovation daily for the three business areas human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceuticals. In 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of around 17.5 billion euros. R&D expenditure of almost 3.2 billion euros, corresponded to 18.1 per cent of net sales.

As a family-owned company, Boehringer Ingelheim plans in generations and focuses on long-term success. The company therefore aims at organic growth from its own resources with simultaneous openness to partnerships and strategic alliances in research. In everything it does, Boehringer Ingelheim naturally adopts responsibility towards mankind and the environment.

More information about Boehringer Ingelheim can be found on www.boehringer-ingelheim.com or in our annual report: http://annualreport.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

Intended audiences:
This press release is issued from our Corporate Headquarters in Ingelheim, Germany and is intended to provide information about Boehringer Ingelheim’s receipt of the Pharmapack 2020 Eco-Design Award.

References

¹ Hansel M, et al. Reduced Environmental Impact of the Reusable Respimat Soft Mist Inhaler Compared with Pressurised Metered-Dose Inhalers. Adv Ther 2019; 1-6.

² Hansel M, Wachtel H. A Comparison of Product Carbon Footprints of Respimat^® versus Pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers. Respiratory Drug Delivery 2018;2:321–4.

³ Hansel M, et al. Reduced environmental impact of a reusable soft mist inhaler. Eur Resp 2018 52: PA1021. Available at: https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/52/suppl_62/PA1021 [Last accessed January 2020].

⁴ Dhand R, et al. Improving usability and maintaining performance: human factor and aerosol-performance studies evaluating the new reusable Respimat inhaler. Int J Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis 2019;14:509–23.

⁵ Pharmapack Europe. Innovation awards. Available at: https://www.pharmapackeurope.com/innovation/awards [Last accessed January 2020].

⁶Boehringer Ingelheim. Respimat^® re-usable: Information for patients and carers. Available at: https://www.medical.respimat.com/uk/patients/disposable-vs-re-usable [Last accessed February 2020]

⁷ Spiolto^® Respimat^® Summary of Product Characteristics, December 2018.

⁸ Spiriva^® Respimat^®Summary of Product Characteristics, October 2018.

⁹ Striverdi^® Respimat^® Summary of Product Characteristics, October 2018.

¹⁰ Data on file.

¹¹Wachtel H, et al. Reusable soft mist inhaler: maintaining aerosol performance. Poster presented at: European Respiratory Society International Congress, 15-19 September 2018; Paris, France.

¹²Boehringer Ingelheim. Environment. Available at: https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/sustainability/environment-health-and-safety/environment. [Last accessed January 2020].