Respiratory Drug Delivery 8

Drug therapy via inhalation route is at the cutting edge of modern drug delivery research. There has been significant progress on the understanding of drug therapy via inhalation products. However, there are still problems associated with their formulation design, including the interaction between the active pharmaceutical ingredient(s) (APIs), excipients and devices. This book seeks to cover some of the most pertinent issues and challenges of such formulation design associated with industrial production and desirable clinical outcome. The chapter topics have been selected with a view to integrating the factors that require consideration in the selection and design of device and formulation components which impact upon patient usability and clinical effectiveness. The challenges involved with the delivery of macromolecules by inhalation to both adult and pediatric patients are also covered. Written by leading international experts from both academia and industry, the book will help readers (formulation design scientists, researchers and post-graduate and specialized undergraduate students) develop a deep understanding of key aspects of inhalation formulations as well as detail ongoing challenges and advances associated with their development.

The focus of this book is on subjects related to drug delivery to the lung. The text spans topics from aerosol deposition through pharmaceutical chemistry and formulation to the final clinical evaluation of pharmaceutical products. Utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach, the chapters consider toxicology from the point of view of drugs and pharmaceutical excipients used in aerosols.

In treating diseases of the respiratory tract, the direct administration of drugs has great advantages in terms of clinical efficiency. This book reviews the most important recent developments in drug delivery systems to the respiratory tract. Starting with a detailed description of lung strucure and function, successive chapters investigate the usefulness of the pulmonary presention of beta-agonists, steroids and chromoglycate, and explain metabolic function and susceptibility to chemical damage from the environment, showing that the lung is far from being a passive organ. Further contributions demonstrate the importance of mucus in humidification, particle capture and particle removal before attention is given to the practical problems of drug delivery and the commercially viable devices available to the pharmaceutical technologist: the metered dose inhaler, the powder inhaler, and the jet nebuliser. The final chapter examines the future role of intranasal delivery systems, based upon the principles described.

The pace of new research and level of innovation repeatedly introduced into the field of drug delivery to the lung is surprising given its state of maturity since the introduction of the pressurized metered dose inhaler over a half a century ago. It is clear that our understanding of pulmonary drug delivery has now evolved to the point that inhalation aerosols can be controlled both spatially and temporally to optimize their biological effects. These abilities include controlling lung deposition, by adopting formulation strategies or device technologies, and controlling drug uptake and release through sophisticated particle technologies. The large number of contributions to the scientific literature and variety of excellent texts published in recent years is evidence for the continued interest in pulmonary drug delivery research. This reference text endeavors to bring together the fundamental theory and practice of controlled drug delivery to the airways that is unavailable elsewhere. Collating and synthesizing the material in this rapidly evolving field presented a challenge and ultimately a sense of achievement that is hopefully reflected in the content of the volume.