A handful of North American companies that see potential in vaporizer-like devices to relieve migraines and respiratory illnesses such as asthma have a long way to go to convince health authorities and patients that their products could be the future of inhaled medication.
Two companies, Qnovia and MIIST Therapeutics, have developed vaporizer-like devices based on the technology used in existing medical nebulizers, which convert liquid medications into a fine mist.
Another company, Greentank, says it has developed a way to vaporize substances via a heating chip that addresses safety concerns with current vaporizers and may offer a better way to treat ailments like migraines.
Companies and experts say inhalation can relieve pain in seconds, butwith fewer side effects than pillsbut its ambitions to sell vape-like devices in the medical field, amid growing concerns about their health impacts, will be a tall order.
For now, Qnovia and MIIST will initially launch their products as prescription nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) treatments, while Greentank is initially targeting use of its heating chip in recreational cannabis and nicotine vaporizers.
Ultimately, companies aim for their devices to deliver a broad range of medications, and Douglas Dunlap, chief commercial officer at Greentank, cites migraine drugs as an example.
A common method of administering migraine treatment is through a pill, which takes up to an hour to take effect and can include symptoms such as vomiting and dizziness.
“If we could shorten that time, that would be a huge win for us,” said Dunlap, a former executive at vaping company JUUL, adding that vapes can deliver a dose in 60 seconds.
According to the World Health Organization, three billion people worldwide suffer from migraines. Hundreds of millions more suffer from conditions such as asthma or lung diseases which are treated with inhaled medications.
In 2023 alone, it generated nearly $8.9 billion in revenue from general respiratory drugs for conditions such as asthma and lung diseases.
HEALTH CONCERNS
Federico Buonocore, a professor specializing in alternative pulmonary drug delivery at Kingston University in Britain, said current inhaled drug delivery devices are clumsy and difficult to handle, so are prone to misuse.
A vaporizer-like design could solve these challenges, he said.
Big tobacco companies have already tried, but failed, to enter this market; their efforts have been plagued by mistrust and opposition from health officials.
In 2023, Philip Morris International scrapped a goal of earning more than $1 billion in annual revenue by 2025 from its wellness and healthcare unit, which includes a business that makes asthma inhalers.
Chief executive Jacek Olczak said the company had been “too optimistic about how the external environment would accept… Big Tobacco” in industries other than nicotine. An inhalable aspirin product developed by the unit was also deemed unsuccessful after a clinical trial in 2023.
Virginia-based Qnovia and California-based MIIST are pharmaceutical companies and not associated with Big Tobacco, although some of their top executives come from that industry.
Brian Quigley, chief executive of Qnovia and former head of tobacco giant Altria, said the company plans to file drug applications in the US soon and in the UK in 2026 for its device as a NRT, and launch a clinical trial in September.
MIIST also needs to obtain regulatory approvals. Its phase 1 clinical trial found that its device could relieve cravings faster than other nicotine replacement therapies approved, such as patches and gum, which are notoriously ineffective in helping smokers quit.
Toronto-based Greentank, founded in 2015 to make vaping hardware, will see the first US cannabis vaporizer using its technology launched in September by US company Jaunty.
Greentank is now looking for a pharmaceutical partner to support the development of its heating chip for drug delivery.
MIIST founder Dalton Signor said he hopes the company’s device could one day be used to deliver drugs to relieve pain and anxiety, among other things.
But he said a major challenge is ensuring that devices like MIIST’s are not confused with typical vaporizers, the subject of growing health concerns.
Authorities such as the World Health Organization say e-cigarettes can produce harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and heavy metals, and their long-term effects are uncertain.
Venture capitalist Catharine Dockery, chief executive of Vice Ventures, said her firm backed Qnovia because its misting technology does not use heat, a process that can generate harmful emissions.
Greentank’s device uses heat, which also means some medications might not work with it.
Dunlap said Greentank is in the early stages of trying to identify drugs that are suitable for technologyand tests show that its heating method does not produce harmful emissions.
But many may remain skeptical.
Buonocore of Kingston University investigated the use of electronic cigarettes as drug delivery devices.
“The first thing I was told was, ‘It’s wrong to use this device as a medical device,’” she said, adding that her concerns included that it would be inappropriate to prescribe them to children.
“Getting rid of this stigma is going to be very difficult for the sector”.
(With information from Reuters)
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