Alviol

Alviol is an early stage MedTech business developing Occoris - an elegant and simple way of delivering drugs more efficiently to the lungs. Pulmonary drug delivery is a large ($24Bn) and fast growing market (4.5% CAGR) which hasn’t seen disruptive innovation for several decades. However, blockbuster patent expiration, emergence of new biologics, environmental pressures and greater focus on patient outcomes have created ideal conditions for real innovation. Pharma companies currently use either a dry powder inhaler (DPI) with poor efficiency (typically only 25-35% of drug reaches the lungs) or a pressurised Metered Dose Inhaler (pMDI), which can be slightly more efficient but has an environmentally damaging carbon footprint and requires co-ordination of inhalation with pressing the top of the canister. There is a need for a device with the simplicity of a DPI and the aerosolisation efficiency of a pMDI yet without using any harmful propellant. Occoris is just that - a 100% hermetically sealed foil-foil blister containing powdered drug and pre-pressurised nitrogen, which ruptures automatically as a patient inhales and generates a fine aerosol cloud. Alviol is a spin-out from Team Consulting which created Occoris and remains a major shareholder. Alviol is currently progressing the technology from proof-of-concept into a scalable and robust manufacturing process with Harro Höfliger. Alviol is also working in collaboration with Constantia Flexibles (global providers of pharmaceutical foils) and the University of Hertfordshire.