Underwood Foundation, International Biophysics Partner to Provide AffloVests to 50 CF Patients

The Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation has partnered with International Biophysics, the manufacturer of AffloVest, to provide 50 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with the next-gen airway clearance therapy in all 50 U.S. states.

The foundation, created in 2015 by former NFL linebacker Colton Underwood, encourages youth participation in athletics and provides resources and support for cystic fibrosis patients.

Starting in January 2018, the Underwood foundation will begin delivering the mobile airway clearance devices to each CF patient. Under the terms of the new partnership, International Biophysics will donate the 50 AffloVests that the foundation will distribute.

“We are thrilled and honored to work with Colton and his Legacy Foundation to help cystic fibrosis patients across the country. We share a commitment to helping improve the quality of life for these patients and are excited to be working together on the project,” H. David Schockley Jr., chief executive officer of International Biophysics, said in a press release.

Underwood said the foundation is now accepting nominations for recipients who have CF, and the Legacy Foundation plans to give away the first Afflovest in January in Denver, Colorado.

“We greatly appreciate International Biophysics’ sponsorship of the project and are looking forward to working together to help patients across the U.S. receive next generation treatment,” the athlete added.

The AffloVest is a fully mobile, high-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) device that pioneered mechanical oscillation airway clearance therapy for patients with severe lung conditions like CF, bronchiectasis, and diseases. The vest uses oscillating motors instead of air bladders to clear secretions from the lungs of patients.

A study published in 2015 showed that AffloVest improved lung function scores in adolescents with CF.

Because the device is self-contained, portable, quiet, and works with a rechargeable battery, patients can be completely free and mobile. In the study, teenagers using the AffloVest played basketball, danced, and participated in other activities, some for the first time in their lives.

AffloVest, which is manufactured in Austin, Texas, has received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 510k marketing clearance for medical devices, and is approved for Medicare and private health insurance reimbursement.

In June 2016, AffloVest received CE Mark certification in Europe. It was also approved by Health Canada and the Australian Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA), allowing the company to sell and market the vest in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and in European Union countries using the CE mark.

For more information on the Colton Legacy Project and to submit an application for yourself or a friend to receive an AffloVest, visit
https://www.coltonslegacy.org/coltons-legacy-project/