Aerocrine

Aerocrine AB, founded in 1997, is a medical products company that originated from research conducted at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The company's inception traces back to a serendipitous discovery in the early 1990s by researchers, including Magnus Persson, who noticed a reading on a nitrogen monoxide gauge when blowing into a connected tube. This led to the finding that exhaled air contains more nitric oxide (NO) and that these levels change with illness. This foundational research on the link between fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and airway inflammation became the basis for Aerocrine's technology. The company was established by two research groups led by professors Lars Gustafsson and Kjell Alving, along with Magnus Persson, to commercialize this discovery.

The company focuses on developing and marketing devices for the improved management of patients with inflammatory airway diseases like asthma. Its business model centers on the sale of point-of-care devices and the associated tests to healthcare providers, such as allergy and asthma specialists. Aerocrine's primary products are the NIOX MINO® and its successor, the NIOX VERO®. These hand-held devices non-invasively measure FeNO levels from a patient's breath in about a minute, providing an objective assessment of allergic airway inflammation. The technology allows physicians to diagnose, monitor, and personalize treatment for asthma patients more effectively, moving beyond just symptom evaluation. The NIOX VERO, an evolution of the MINO, features enhancements like a rechargeable battery and a visual display to guide patients during exhalation.

Aerocrine achieved several key milestones throughout its history. The company went public with an IPO on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in June 2007. It gained significant market access when the NIOX MINO received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2008. Regulatory approval in Japan followed in November 2013. The next-generation device, NIOX VERO, received its FDA 510(k) clearance in late 2014. A major turning point occurred in June 2015 when Aerocrine was acquired by the UK-based biopharmaceutical company Circassia Pharmaceuticals plc for approximately $214-$219 million. This acquisition was a strategic move by Circassia to leverage Aerocrine's established commercial infrastructure and sales force targeting allergy and asthma specialists.

Keywords: Aerocrine, FeNO, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, asthma diagnosis, airway inflammation, medical diagnostics, point-of-care testing, NIOX MINO, NIOX VERO, respiratory diseases, Circassia Pharmaceuticals, Karolinska Institutet, Magnus Persson, Lars Gustafsson, Kjell Alving, medical device, asthma management, non-invasive diagnostics, Solna, medtech, healthtech, allergy specialists, pulmonary care