How Adherium’s iCARE Study Transformed COPD and Asthma Medication Adherence

A New Era in Respiratory Care

Adherium Limited (ASX, ADR) has unveiled promising preliminary results from its iCARE study, a large-scale real-world investigation into medication adherence among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Conducted in partnership with Intermountain Health and CareCentra, the study demonstrates a remarkable leap in adherence rates, sustained patient engagement, and tangible clinical benefits.

Across approximately 850 patients monitored with Adherium’s Hailie® Smartinhaler® technology, adherence soared to an average of 62% over two weeks, a stark contrast to the 20–40% typically reported in these populations. Notably, around 40% of patients surpassed the critical 80% adherence threshold, a level historically associated with nearly 50% fewer respiratory attacks and hospitalisations.

Sustained Engagement and Clinical Impact

Beyond adherence, the study highlights exceptional persistence, with 54% of patients remaining engaged for over a year; particularly impressive among elderly and high-risk groups often resistant to digital health interventions. This sustained engagement translated into clinically meaningful outcomes, including reductions in inpatient admissions, 30-day readmissions, length of hospital stays, and reliance on rescue medications.

These improvements align closely with value-based care priorities, addressing the significant economic burden COPD imposes on healthcare systems; estimated at over $31 billion annually in the US alone. By enabling earlier, proactive interventions, the iCARE program appears to bend the cost curve while enhancing patient quality of life.

Commercial and Strategic Implications

Adherium’s CEO, Dawn Bitz, emphasised the study’s role in validating a scalable, data-driven care model that combines connected inhaler technology with AI-powered remote monitoring from CareCentra. The results bolster Adherium’s position to expand commercial contracts and reimbursement opportunities, particularly within the US healthcare market.

Intermountain Health’s Research Director, Kim Bennion, underscored the transformative potential of continuous respiratory monitoring to extend care beyond traditional clinical settings, empowering patients to maintain therapy adherence and avoid costly exacerbations.

While the data remains preliminary, the scale and scope of the iCARE study; covering 4,000 Hailie® sensors across five facilities over two years; signal a significant commercial opportunity for Adherium’s platform globally.

Looking Ahead

Further detailed analyses are anticipated to dissect outcomes by condition severity, environmental factors, and socioeconomic influences, potentially refining patient targeting and intervention strategies. As Adherium prepares to release comprehensive datasets, investors and healthcare stakeholders will be watching closely to see how these encouraging early results translate into sustained market growth and healthcare impact.