Visionhealth cooperates with Boehringer Ingelheim

With its app, the start-up wants to help people with lung disease to use inhalation devices. Many make mistakes in the process, which can lead to severe disease progression.

The Munich-based start-up Visionhealth has announced that it is collaborating with pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim. More specifically, it's about the app Kata, which is already certified as a medical device. It is designed to provide targeted inhalation support for people with chronic lung diseases.

According to Visionhealth, there is a need in this area because the correct use of the inhalation device is a decisive factor for the success of the therapy. However, studies showed error rates of between 32 and 100 percent in this regard. This leads to problems: If inhalation is incorrect, less active ingredient reaches the lungs. In the long run, this can lead to more severe courses of disease. Another solution would be to train patients repeatedly. However, according to the start-up, this is often not possible in practice due to a lack of resources.

Via the smartphone camera and with the help of artificial intelligence, the application supports correct inhalation. This is how the right dose of medication is supposed to reach the lungs. Afterwards, the app informs patients how successful an inhalation was. Symptom and therapy records are intended to support doctors in making treatment decisions.

Martin Beck, Head of Human Pharma Germany at Boehringer Ingelheim, is pleased with the collaboration, saying the app is the ideal complement to Boehringer Ingelheim's broad inhalation portfolio, which it uses to ensure that patients are optimally accompanied in the use of their inhalation products and that the active ingredients reach the lungs. Visionhealth CEO Sabine Häußermann added: "With 100 years of experience in treating lung diseases, Boehringer Ingelheim is a leader in the field of respiratory diseases."