Monday 21st May, 2012

Podhaler™ device is finalist in 2012 Medical Design Excellence Awards

Innovative technology design and development firm Cambridge Consultants is a finalist in the prestigious 2012 Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) for its collaboration with the leading pharmaceutical company Novartis on the design of the Podhaler™ device. The MDEA are the premier awards in the global medical technologyindustry and it is the only awards programme that exclusively recognises contributions and advances in the design of medical products.

The inhaler uses a dry powder form of antibiotic to treatPseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. CF is a life-threatening genetic disease that affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them with thick mucus – making it hard to breathe and digest food. It affects 70,000 people worldwide1, and 90% of deaths caused by the disease are due to a progressive decline in lung function – often made worse by chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection2.

Inhaled use of antibiotics is the traditional method of treating the infection, using a nebuliser to target the lungs where the drugs are needed. The inhaler in contention for the MDEA awards is a portable capsule based dry powder inhaler, which is mechanical and does not require a power source. Designed to have low airflow resistance to allow patients to generate high air flow rates, it does not need extensive cleaning and disinfection, unlike traditional nebulisers.

“We are honoured that our contributions to the Podhaler device have been recognised in the MDEA programme,” said Matthew Allen, Programme Director, Medical Technology at Cambridge Consultants. “To be named as a supplier to a finalist in what are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the medical world is a massive endorsement of the skills of our world-leading engineers.”

MDEA entries are evaluated on the basis of their design and engineering features – including innovative use of materials, user-related functions that improve healthcare delivery and change traditional medical attitudes or practices, features that provide new benefits to patients, and the ability of the product development team to overcome design and engineering challenges so that the product meets its clinical objectives. Entries were reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel of judges with expertise in biomedical engineering, human factors, industrial design, medicine and diagnostics.

The MDEA winners will be announced on May 23 in Philadelphia, with bronze, silver and gold-level awards in each of the competition’s 10 categories. One gold-winning product will be awarded the title of Best in Show. The MDEA programme is presented by global advanced manufacturing and medtech authority UBM Canon and by Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry – the industry’s central source for news, information and business intelligence.

For more information on the MDEA, visit www.MDEAwards.com.

1. CFF Patient Registry. Annual Data Report. 2008.

2. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Patient registry: 1998 annual data report. 1999 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Bethesda, MD.

Notes to editors

Cambridge Consultants develops breakthrough products, creates and licenses intellectual property, and provides business consultancy in technology critical issues for clients worldwide. For more than 50 years, the company has been helping its clients turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether they are launching first-to-market products, entering new markets or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies. With a team of more than 380 staff, including engineers, scientists, mathematicians and designers, in offices in Cambridge (UK), Boston (USA) and Singapore, Cambridge Consultants offers solutions across a diverse range of industries including medical technology, industrial and consumer products, transport, energy, cleantech and wireless communications.

Cambridge Consultants is part of Altran, a global leader in innovation and high-tech engineering consulting which supports companies in the creation and development of their new products and services. With a staff of 20,000 employees in more than 20 countries, the Group generated revenues of €1,456m in 2012. For more information visit: www.altran.com

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