Pulmonary administration route

In the treatment of lung diseases and the treatment of certain other diseases inhalation therapy is a very frequently applied method to administer pharmaceuticals. The advantages of direct local administration into the lungs are most convincing: In the treatment of lung diseases and the treatment of certain other diseases inhalation therapy is a very frequently applied method to administer pharmaceuticals. The advantages of direct local administration into the lungs are most convincing:

• Local or systemic delivery to lungs

Inhalers have been used for many years to deliver pharmaceuticals to the lungs to treat airway diseases such as asthma, COPD and more recently cystic fibrosis. Inhalation allows direct delivery of microgram drug quantities to the site of action with fewer systemic side effects than oral therapy. The lungs may also be used as a portal of entry to the body, enabling delivery of drug via the airways into the bloodstream. Increasingly, companies are developing inhaled formulations for systemic delivery, taking advantage of the optimal permeability to macromolecules provided by the lungs.

• Rapid onset of action

The large surface area of the lung, combined with the extensive blood flow and extremely thin alveolar-capillary membrane, means that small molecules in particular are absorbed within seconds, making inhaled delivery particularly suitable for conditions in which the patient would benefit from a rapid response.

• Non-invasive self-administration

Inhalers offer patients a non-invasive method of delivering drug directly to the site of action, reducing systemic side effects, and enabling lower doses than might otherwise be required.

• Improved bioavailability over orally delivered pharmaceuticals

Improved bioavailability over orally delivered pharmaceuticals: the liver and gut wall metabolize many pharmaceuticals when delivered orally and therefore greatly reduce their concentration and bioavailability (the first-pass effect). For such pharmaceuticals, inhalation offers a noninvasive route almost directly into the bloodstream. Some of the most exciting therapies include peptides and smaller proteins, where bioavailability is 10 to 200 times greater by the pulmonary route compared to other non-invasive routes and which must otherwise be injected.

With the use of currently available conventional inhalation devices, only a fraction of the inhaled drug reaches the lower airways, where it has its therapeutic effect. A large part of the inhaled drug is deposited in the mouth and throat, after which it is swallowed and subsequently may be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. The low efficiency of the inhalation equipment is related to the less optimal size distribution of the particles released.

Disruptive development

With the patented technology we implement in our devices, we are addressing the disadvantages of conventional inhalation devices. Based on the unique features of our technology, we are addressing and overcoming the current limitations of pharmaceutical pulmonary delivery effectively and efficiently.