Teva Pharmaceutical, based in Israel, landed the first FDA approval for a digital inhaler with built-in sensors. The ProAir Digihaler (albuterol sulfate 117 mcg) Inhalation Powder is indicated for people suffering from asthma & COPD as a way of preventing and treating bronchospasm, a tightening of the muscles that line the airways.

The ProAir Digihaler monitors how it’s used and uploads the data to an accompanying smartphone app via Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Specifically, the device detects every time it has been use to administer treatment, as well as the inspiratory airflow during each inhalation.

“There are 25 million Americans living with asthma, many of whom use inhalers as part of their treatment regimen. Despite advancements in care over the years, we know that many are using their rescue medications incorrectly or too often,” in a published statement said said Tonya Winders, President & CEO of the Allergy & Asthma Network. “The FDA approval of ProAir® Digihaler™ is significant because it may help patients track their inhaler usage and provide data that can be used to work more closely with their HCPs on their asthma management. This approval is a major step forward and is indicative of how medications are evolving through technological innovations.”