Mundipharma and Vectura will now progress development of the reformulation of flutiform® (fluticasone propionate/formoterol fumarate) following long-term collaboration, planning and lab-scale development work. The reformulation will ultimately ensure a comparable effective product for patients and further reduce its impact on the environment. The productis an established pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) for the treatment of asthma, where the use of a combination product is appropriate, and has been available on the market for more than a decade.

It currently uses the approved apaflurane hydrofluoroalkane 227 (HFA-227), a type of fluorinated greenhouse gas, as its propellant. European Union regulation on these types of gases aims to reduce their use, and therefore their emissions, by two-thirds by 2030. Work is already under way to source an alternative to the HFA-227 gas used in fluticasone propionate /formoterol fumarate pMDI.

This new collaboration will revitalise the efforts to identify and switch to a more environmentally friendly propellant. If successful, this will result in a significantly lower impact on global warming and alignment with European Union regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases. With more than 262 million people living with asthma globally, the reformulation of some asthma treatments to reduce carbon emissions could have a significant impact on the global carbon footprint.