1nhaler, a Scotland-based drug delivery device developer, has secured £2.2 million in follow-on funding to progress its novel pop-up cardboard inhaler towards first regulatory approval.
The funding round was led by Archangels with support from Scottish Enterprise and BBB Investments.
The investment will facilitate late-stage development of 1nhaler’s lead product, 1nhaler Salbutamol, which combines the novel device with salbutamol, a well-established asthma medicine. The funding will complete the technical transfer of this product into contract manufacturing for the production of clinical trial material and progress a small clinical trial to support regulatory filing which is targeted for late 2027.
The funding will also support a manufacturing engineering study with industry leaders, Harro Höfliger for the commercial scale-up of the 1nhaler dry powder inhaler (DPI) and enable the 1nhaler team to advance business development discussions with parties interested in the utility and innovation of the 1nhaler platform and its lead product.
Inhalable medicines are already used to treat conditions such as asthma, COPD, influenza, epilepsy, depression and Parkinson’s. 1nhaler's unique single-dose DPI platform is designed to address key limitations in current delivery options around user accessibility, cost and environmental impact.
Unlike conventional inhalers typically made from bulky plastic, 1nhaler’s single-dose DPI is made predominantly from cardboard and is the size and shape of a credit card. It transforms into a three-dimensional inhaler for patient use and, with few components including the patent-protected membrane-based system, is designed to be simpler and more affordable to manufacture at scale. Beyond respiratory conditions, the platform has the potential to deliver dry powder medicines for a range of other uses, including pain relief and vaccines.
Demand for inhaled medicines is growing, with inhalation offering rapid, needle-free delivery of drugs directly to the lungs. The global inhalable drugs market is valued at approximately $38 billion in 2026 and project to reach up between $40 and $68 billion by 2033-35.
Lisa McMyn, co-founder and chief executive officer at 1nhaler, said: “This investment takes us to one of the most important milestones in our journey – taking our own lead product into the clinic. The continued backing of Archangels, Scottish Enterprise and BBB Investments reflects the technical and commercial progress we have made over the past year.”
Dr Sarah Hardy, director and head of New Investments at Archangels, said: “Having backed 1nhaler since 2023, we see this latest round as a reflection of our confidence in the team and its novel inhaler device that has the potential to disrupt the global market for inhaled medicines. We are particularly excited by the commercial traction and interest from potential partners across a broader range of drugs than we initially anticipated, highlighting the platform’s versatility and market potential. Taking this product into a clinical study is a significant milestone towards demonstrating its performance in patients. Working alongside our co-investors, we look forward to supporting 1nhaler through its next stage of growth as it builds towards regulatory approval and commercialisation.”
Derek Shaw, director of Company Funding and Investment at Scottish Enterprise, said: ‘This investment highlights our dedication to supporting the growth of ambitious businesses in Scotland. By helping these companies scale, we aim to empower them to compete and lead in global markets. Scotland has distinct global strengths in industries such as human health and fostering the development of companies such as 1nhaler is key to sustaining their success and driving future growth.’
Based in Edinburgh, the company was founded by Don Smith and Lisa McMyn. Its team brings decades of experience taking inhaled products to market, including Chief Scientific Officer Helen Muirhead, former Head of GSK’s Respiratory Centre of Excellence with development responsibility for the Diskus and Ellipta inhalers and Chief Medical Officer Lars Larsson, formerly Medical Director, Licensing at AstraZeneca and Head of Clinical Research at Novartis.
