Mundipharma, Vectura collaborate to reformulate asthma inhaler to reduce carbon footprint

Global healthcare company Mundipharma and Vectura, an inhalation contract development and manufacturing organization, have entered into a collaboration
agreement aimed at reformulating an asthma inhaler as part of their commitment to reducing the product’s carbon footprint.

The companies will be working together on incorporating an environmentally friendly propellant into the formulation of flutiform, a pressurised metered-dose
inhaler (pMDI) used for asthma treatment, to achieve a near-zero-emissions product.

Currently, the product uses the approved apaflurane hydrofluoroalkane 227 (HFA-227), a type of fluorinated greenhouse gas, as its propellant.

The European Union’s regulation on these types of greenhouse gases targets a two-thirds reduction in their usage and subsequent emissions by 2030.

In a joint statement, companies revealed that work is already in progress to find an alternative to the HFA-227 gas.

Yuri Martina, Chief Development and Medical Officer at Mundipharma, said: “This is the first step in our long-term plan to develop a near-zero-emissions asthma
inhaler.