Parma | Rome (Italy), 13/01/2026
Chiesi Group (“Chiesi”), a global research-focused biopharmaceutical company with a strong heritage in respiratory care, and VoiceMed Italia S.r.l. (“VoiceMed”), a digital health innovator specializing in AI-powered vocal biomarkers, today announced a six-monthpilot focused on early detection of chronic respiratory diseases, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
With the global elderly population expected to double by 20501, healthcare systems face increasing pressure. Early detection of chronic respiratory diseases is essential to enable timely intervention, reduce hospital admissions, and improve patient outcomes. This pilot will explore how voice-based biomarkers can support these goals in an accessible and scalable way.
The pilot is combining Chiesi’s expertise in respiratory therapies with VoiceMed’s smartphone-based vocal biomarker platform, which analyzes breathing sounds and vocalizations to identify risk signals. By leveraging widely available devices, the technology aims at making screening and monitoring more accessible for patients and streamlined for providers. The project will also evaluate improvements in patients’ quality of life using the Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY)2
metric and assess potential reductions in emergency department visits.
“COPD is not only one of the most underdiagnosed respiratory conditions; it is also the third leading cause of death and disability worldwide, placing a growing burden on patients, families, and healthcare systems,” said Michelle Soriano, Executive Vice President Air Franchise, Chiesi Group. “Through this collaboration, we aim to advance digital innovation to enable earlier detection and proactive, personalized management—helping to prevent exacerbations, keep patients stable at home, and improve quality of life in a more sustainable way”.
“Voice is an accessible signal in lung health. By running entirely on smartphones, VoiceMed technology removes the need for extra devices, in-clinic testing, or in-person visits,” said Arianna Arienzo, co-founder and CEO, VoiceMed.
About Chiesi Group
Chiesi is a research-oriented international biopharmaceutical group that develops and markets innovative therapeutic solutions in respiratory health, rare diseases, and specialty care. The company’s mission is to improve people’s quality of life and act responsibly towards both the community and the environment.
By adopting the legal form of Benefit Corporation in Italy, the US, France and other countries, Chiesi’s commitment to creating shared value for society as a whole is legally binding and central to company-wide decision-making. As a certified B Corp since 2019, Chiesi is part of a global community of businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental impact. The company aims to reach Net-Zero greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions by 2035.
With 90 years of experience, Chiesi is headquartered in Parma (Italy), with 31 affiliates worldwide, and counts more than 7,500 employees. The Group’s research and development centre in Parma works alongside 6 other important R&D hubs in France, the US, Canada, China, the UK, and Sweden.
For further information please visit www.chiesi.com.
About VoiceMed
VoiceMed develops AI-powered voice biomarker solutions for chronic respiratory diseases with a focus on COPD. Using only a patient’s smartphone, VoiceMed analyzes short breathing and voice recordings to surface risk signals that can support earlier clinical action and guide follow-up. The
platform is fully digital, device-free, and designed for rapid deployment across primary care, hospital-at-home, and remote programs. For more information, visit www.voicemed.io.
About Technology
VoiceMed’s software processes breathing sounds and vocalizations recorded via standard smartphone microphones and applies machine-learning models to derive metrics linked to respiratory function. The smartphone-only approach maximizes accessibility and scalability, enabling fast initial health checks and ongoing assessments within routine pathways without dedicated hardware or specialist staff. If successful, the collaboration could expand access to earlier assessment and proactive monitoring globally while supporting VoiceMed’s regulatory pathway in the EU and other markets.
References include:
Paoletti G. et al., 2025: “Vocal biomarkers correlate with FEV1 variations during methacholine challenge”, Clinical and Translational Allergy.
Press info
For Chiesi: mediarelations@chiesi.com
For VoiceMed: contact@voicemed.io