Novartis, not to be outdone by respiratory rivals, inks 'smart inhaler' deal

Respiratory drugmakers have been looking to "smart inhaler" technology to give them a leg up on marketing in a crowded field. And Novartis ($NVS) wants a part of it. The Swiss drugmaker is collaborating with Qualcomm Life to develop the next generation of the Breezhaler inhaler, used with each of the meds in Novartis' COPD portfolio. The new-age product will be able to record information including the time the inhaler is used--and then send it wirelessly to patients' smartphones and to the cloud, allowing patients and their healthcare providers to monitor their condition. More from FiercePharmaMarketing