Innovations in Technology Awards Honor Life-Saving Breakthroughs in Allergy and Asthma Care

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA), a leading national nonprofit patient-education organization, announces the Top Ten Innovations in Technology Awards – products and services that have meaningfully improved quality of life for people with allergies, asthma and related conditions.

"When you think about it, most asthma and anaphylaxis medications, from inhalers to auto-injectable epinephrine, are actually a combination of drug plus device – that is, technology," AANMA Founder and President Nancy Sander says. "Our organization's sole mission is to eliminate needless suffering and death due to allergies, asthma and related conditions. We've identified 10 innovative technologies that move us closer to this goal when used within the context of the patient's medical history and treatment plan."

"Allergy and asthma care has come a long way in a relatively short period of time," says Stanley Fineman, MD, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. "What that means is that we can offer patients a quality of life not possible before."

Device innovators and manufacturers will be honored at the 15th annual Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill on Thurs., May 10, 2012. Visitors can explore winning devices – along with AANMA's "Out of the Dark Ages…"  display of antique asthma devices and medications -- at the Innovations in Technology Health Fair in the Rayburn Foyer, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.   

AANMA'S TOP 10 INNOVATIONS IN TECHNOLOGY AWARDS

• Advair Diskus®
  First dry powder inhaler that simplifies asthma care by combining an inhaled corticosteroid with a long-acting bronchodilator in one device. GlaxoSmithKline
• AeroChamber Plus Flow-Vu™ Valved Holding Chamber
  Holding chamber traps and holds medication particles long enough to be inhaled over a matter of moments instead of split seconds; Flow-Vu valve allows parents of young children to see when medication is inhaled. Monaghan Medical Corporation; marketed by Forest Laboratories
• Aeroneb®Go Micropump Nebulizer
  Easy-to-carry, palm-size device silently and quickly converts liquid medication to a soft mist to be inhaled anywhere over a matter of minutes. Aerogen Inc.
• EpiPen® Auto-injector
  Easy-to-use, patient-friendly auto-injector treats anaphylaxis and is more intuitive to use than early emergency epinephrine kits. Mylan Specialty
• Niox Mino®
  Easily detects airway inflammation by measuring the amount of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) in a patient's breath. Aerocrine
• Qnasl™ Nasal Spray
  First non-CFC, dry aerosol metered-dose corticosteroid nasal spray eliminates drips common to water-based sprays – includes an integrated dose counter, too. Teva Respiratory
• Respimat® Soft Mist™ Inhaler
  Innovative inhaler with patients' needs in mind: lightweight, portable, silent, has a dose counter, no batteries to replace and releases a soft mist without using propellants. Boehringer Ingelheim
• uKnow™ Peanut ImmunoCAP® Molecular Allergy Test
  Cutting-edge blood test identifies whether people are allergic to dangerous or more-benign peanut proteins, helping parents and patients create a food allergy management plan. ThermoFisher Scientific
• Ventolin® HFA
  First aerosol MDI with an integrated dose counter, allowing parents and patients to track inhaler use more easily – a life-saving change. GlaxoSmithKline
• Xolair®
  First biologic medication interrupts allergic asthma episodes before they can get started – patients have called it life-changing. Genentech

About AANMA
Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies and related conditions. AANMA specializes in sharing family-friendly, medically accurate information through its award-winning publications Allergy & Asthma Today magazine and The MA Report newsletter, its website at www.aanma.org and numerous community outreach programs. Follow AANMA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AANMA and Twitter at http://twitter.com/AANMA.

CONTACT:
Tawana Jacobs
Fenton Communications
202-789-7795 or 301-325-8687
[email protected]

Sandra Fusco Walker
Director, Patient Advocacy
Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA)
703-641-9595, ext. 1524
[email protected]

SOURCE Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics