International Survey Reveals Concerns about Tobacco Company Ownership of Inhaler Devices

According to an international survey conducted earlier this year, 70% of respondents said they believed tobacco companies make money by selling devices such as inhalers, medication or other equipment to treat lung diseases. The survey findings are published in a new communication brief entitled "Pharmaceutical industry ownership of the tobacco business: An international survey of respiratory disease patients", in the official journal of the British Thoracic Society, Thorax.

At the beginning of 2022, a total of 1,196 individuals who reported using inhalers participated in a survey. Following the acquisition of pharmaceutical company Vectura by Fimo International in 2021, patient advocacy groups sought to understand patients' attitudes towards tobacco companies holding stakes in manufacturers of respiratory inhalation equipment. Vectura has developed several widely-used medical delivery devices and/or formulations for inhalation therapy for chronic lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.

The COPD Foundation, in collaboration with the Global Allergy and Airways Patient Platform and Lung Foundation Australia, conducted a survey of chronic lung disease patients in January through March 2022 in English, Spanish, and German. In addition to expressing concerns about tobacco ownership of lung treatments, a significant portion (48%) of surveyed patients also indicated that they would strongly consider switching inhalers if they knew tobacco companies manufactured or sold the brand they use.

This was an unexpected discovery, as in my own practice, many patients have expressed a tendency to stick with medications that are effective for them," said Byron Thomashow, Chief Medical Officer of the COPD Foundation and co-author of the Chest brief, in a statement. "However, socioeconomic and systemic factors, such as insurance coverage, healthcare system restrictions, and convenience, strongly impact a patient's ability to make treatment choices.

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