KEYPOINTS:
- Spirofy is India’s first pneumotach-based portable wireless Spirometer for the diagnosis of COPD and asthma.
- The company intends with this launch to revolutionize Obstructive Airway Disease (OAD) diagnosis, in line with its ambition to strengthen its position as the lung leader in India.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide, causing 3.23 million deaths in 2019. Over 80% of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
Cipla launches ‘Spirofy’, Pneumotach-Based Portable Wireless Spirometer for Early Diagnosis of COPD
Cipla has announced the launch of Spirofy, India’s first pneumotach-based portable, wireless spirometer, on World Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Day. With the launch, the company intends to revolutionise Obstructive Airway Disease (OAD) diagnosis, in line with its ambition to strengthen its position as the lung leader in India. This is a part of the company’s #LungAttack campaign that endeavors to drive awareness about COPD and encourage early diagnosis.
Cipla’s Spirofy is a result of five years of in-house research by the Integrated Product Development (IPD) team, and it aims to transform Obstructive Airway Disease (OAD) diagnosis in India. This advanced device ensures high result accuracy and individual patient safety using Bacterial Viral Filters. Spirofy is entirely wireless with good battery backup, making it suitable for use in outdoor camps, remote areas with power shortages, or simply providing physicians’ flexibility and ease of use.
Umang Vohra (MD and Global CEO, Cipla Limited) said, “Cipla has been steadfastly focused on addressing the world’s growing respiratory disease burden, and with this launch, we see ourselves steadily advancing to combat chronic respiratory ailments like COPD. The Spirofy launch aims to help doctors across the country to improve lives of patients through accurate and affordable diagnosis.”
The device generates reports in real-time, which can be printed using a portable wireless thermal printer instantly, or a pdf version can be shared on the phone. Cipla will undertake the training of physicians in the interpretation of spirometry results.
Spirometry is the gold standard for COPD diagnosis, however owing to the bulky size, complex functionality, need for regular maintenance are some reasons that impacted the widespread acceptance of conventional spirometers by medical practitioners. This resulted in underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis of COPD cases in India. Currently, COPD remains the second most common cause of death in India after heart diseases, where India alone bears 32 per cent of the global COPD burden.
What is COPD?
OPD is a common, preventable, and treatable chronic lung disease which affects men and women worldwide.
Abnormalities in the small airways of the lungs lead to limitation of airflow in and out of the lungs. A number of processes cause the airways to become narrow. There may be destruction of parts of the lung, mucus blocking the airways, and inflammation and swelling of the airway lining.
COPD is sometimes called “emphysema” or “chronic bronchitis”. Emphysema usually refers to destruction of the tiny air sacs at the end of the airways in the lungs. Chronic bronchitis refers to a chronic cough with the production of phlegm resulting from inflammation in the airways.
COPD and asthma share common symptoms (cough, wheeze, and difficulty breathing) and people may have both conditions.
Causes of COPD
COPD develops gradually over time, often resulting from a combination of risk factors:
- tobacco exposure from active smoking or passive exposure to second-hand smoke;
- occupational exposure to dusts, fumes or chemicals;
- indoor air pollution: biomass fuel (wood, animal dung, crop residue) or coal is frequently used for cooking and heating in low- and middle-income countries with high levels of smoke exposure;
- early life events such as poor growth in utero, prematurity, and frequent or severe respiratory infections in childhood that prevent maximum lung growth;
- asthma in childhood; and
- a rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which can cause COPD at a young age.
WHO response on COPD:
COPD is included in the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
WHO is taking action to extend diagnosis of and treatment for COPD in a number of ways.
The WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (PEN) was developed to help improve NCD management in primary health care in low-resource settings. PEN includes protocols for the assessment, diagnosis and management of chronic respiratory diseases (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and modules on healthy lifestyle counselling, including tobacco cessation and self-care. Rehabilitation 2030 is a new strategic approach to prioritize and strengthen rehabilitation services in health systems. Pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD is included in the Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation, currently under development as part of this WHO initiative.
Reducing tobacco smoke exposure is important for both primary prevention of COPD and disease management. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is enabling progress in this area as are WHO initiatives such as MPOWER and mTobacco Cessation.
Further prevention activities include the WHO Clean Household Energy Solutions Toolkit (CHEST) to promote clean and safe interventions in the home and facilitate the design of policies that promote the adoption of clean household energy at local, programmatic, and national level.
The Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) contributes to WHO’s work to prevent and control chronic respiratory diseases. GARD is a voluntary alliance of national and international organizations and agencies from many countries committed to the vision of a world where all people breathe freely.
What is a Pneumotach and what is it used to measure?
The pneumotachograph is a device that measures airflow quantitatively by detecting flow of respiratory gases and comparing it to the pressure drop against a small resistive field.
Qualitative measures of airflow include monitoring of changes in airway pressure and temperature at the nose and mouth of the patient.
What is spirometer used for?
Spirometry is a common office test used to assess how well your lungs work by measuring how much air you inhale, how much you exhale and how quickly you exhale. Spirometry is used to diagnose asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other conditions that affect breathing.
About Cipla:
Cipla Ltd is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in India. The focuses on development of new formulations and has a wide range of pharmaceutical products. The product portfolio includes over 1,500 products across wide range of therapeutic categories.
Cipla primarily develops medicines to treat respiratory, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, weight control and depression; other medical conditions.
Cipla Ltd was incorporated in the year 1935 with the name Chemical, Industrial & Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd. Khwaja Abdul Hamied, the founder of Cipla gave the company all his patent and proprietary formulas for several drugs and medicines, without charging any royalty On August 17, 1935, Cipla was registered as a public limited company with an authorized capital of Rs 6 lakh.