Special Report: The initial interest and feedback for Respiri’s new asthma management device is exceeding expectations, its launch partner says.

Multinational pharmaceutical company Cipla Australia says several key banner groups have come onboard to sell Respiri Limited’s (ASX:RSH) wheezo wheeze-detection device, which Cipla is supplying to select pharmacies to help asthma patients better manage their conditions.

“It is terrific to see a product like wheezo now available,” says Azhar Ibrahim, managing director of Cipla Australia.

“Our sales representatives have already received some very enthusiastic and encouraging feedback from pharmacists, with them very eager to have wheezo on their shelves and more importantly in the hands of patients that need it.”

Melbourne-based Respiri has partnered with The Pharmacy Guild of Australia to deliver an hour-long online education course to help pharmacists recognise the prevalence and burden of asthma in Australia and identify the role of digital technology in assisting asthma management.

 

An exciting launch

wheezo is also available to purchase online from https://wheezo.com.

Respiri says there’s currently very little support for asthma patients once they leave the clinic and the wheezo ehealth platform aims to fill that void with an interactive and engaging platform to better manage the plans healthcare professionals outline for their patients.

“The Respiri team is excited to bring to market a new and innovative product to assist with asthma management,” says Respiri’s chief executive and managing director, Marjan Mikel.

“The launch of wheezo marks our commitment to assist asthma patients, caregivers and health professionals to provide a solution to extended care beyond the clinic and support improved asthma care, management and understanding.

“The wheezo launch strategy has been informed by targeted market research and insightful feedback from the wheezo Patient Experiential Program (PEP) and appears to be very well received.”

Intellectual property protection

It’s been a busy few days for Respiri, which earlier this week filed for another patent on its wheezo algorithm to detect signs of asthma after making improvements to the process over the last six months.

The additional intellectual property relates to a method of processing recordings of a user’s breathing, where the algorithm processes the sound signal and marks periods containing pitch that’s characteristic of wheeze via the trachea while eliminating background noise.

Asthma is typically measured through a self-reported, subjective questionnaire – the ACQ5, or Asthma Control Questionnaire 5. Respiri says that its wheeze-detecting device will be the first tool available for an objective assessment of a patient’s respiratory condition in the real world.

Strong cash balance

As previously reported, Respiri recently completed a $12.5 million capital raising to fund it to a sustainable cash flow breakeven position by the second half of FY22.

The placement left Respiri with $14.5 million in cash, leaving it with plenty of funds to pay for the manufacture of its wheezo device.

In September, Respiri struck a manufacturing partnership where its wheezo devices will be made in China for a fraction of the cost.

Devon Park, South Australia-based Entech Electronics has already begun production preparation activities for delivering 12,000 wheezo devices from February.

This article was developed in collaboration with Respiri, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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