JERUSALEM, Israel — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has made its QVAR RediHaler Inhalation Aerosol (beclomethasone dipropionate HFA) commercially available in 40-mcg and 80-mcg strengths in the United States.

The QVAR RediHaler is the first and only breath-actuated aerosol inhaled corticosteroid for the maintenance treatment of asthma as a prophylactic therapy in patients ages 4 years and older, Teva said. The product isn’t indicated for the relief of acute bronchospasm.

Unlike conventional metered-dose inhalers (MDIs), QVAR RediHaler delivers medication via a breath-actuated inhaler, eliminating the need for hand-breath coordination during inhalation. Teva said the product administers the same active ingredient found in its previously available QVAR Inhalation Aerosol (beclomethasone dipropionate HFA) but leverage the breath-actuated inhaler technology.

In addition, QVAR RediHaler was designed to be ready for use without shaking or priming. Because the medication delivery is breath-actuated, it should not be used with a spacer or volume holding chamber, Teva noted.

“QVAR has been an available asthma treatment option for well over a decade, so we are excited by the new technology of QVAR RediHaler that directly addresses an unmet need in the field of asthma management,” stated Brendan O’Grady, executive vice president of North America commercial at Teva. “By merging our breath-actuated inhaler technology with asthma medication, we hope to better serve the needs of the respiratory community and look forward to seeing the adoption of QVAR RediHaler in the coming months.”

Teva said that, with the release of QVAR RediHaler, the company is discontinuing sales of the previously available QVAR. Patients currently prescribed QVAR and/or their caregivers should to speak with a health care professional about how the new option may impact their treatment plan and how to obtain and use QVAR RediHaler, if desired. QVAR RediHaler will be priced at parity to QVAR, Teva added.

“When it comes to the treatment of asthma, proper inhaler technique remains a critical issue for patients. In fact, nearly 68% of patients do not use their metered dose inhalers (MDIs) well enough to benefit from the prescribed medication, leading to potentially uncontrolled asthma symptoms2,” according to Warner Carr, M.D., associate medical director of Southern California research at the Allergy and Asthma Associates of Southern California Medical Group. “As a physician, it’s often a challenge to know if my patients are using their inhalers correctly once they leave the office. It’s reassuring to see new device technologies come to market, such as the QVAR RediHaler device, which is designed specifically to eliminate the need for hand-breath coordination.”