A particle technology approach toward designing dry-powder inhaler formulations for personalized medicine in respiratory diseases

Abstract

Compared with oral and parenteral formulations, inhaled formulations are attractive because of their great benefit and potential to enhance therapeutic effects of medications. Among the available inhaled formulations, powders used with dry-powder inhalers (DPIs) have become a preferred option because of their many advantages over other inhaled formulations. Additionally, a powder technological approach is required and available for sophisticated design of DPI formulations. To provide appropriate treatment using a DPI formulation, inhaled particles containing drugs should be delivered to the appropriate sites in the lungs of individual patients. It is indispensable that the design of DPI formulations specify particle properties suitable for a specific disease and the appropriate positions in the lungs to which the inhaled particles must be delivered. This article focuses on the current particle technological approach toward designing DPI formulations and numerical simulation analysis of behavior and deposition of inhaled particles in the lungs. As a future perspective from the viewpoint of pharmaceutical particle technology, a combination of experimental and simulation approaches is expected to improve the ability to obtain maximum lung delivery as well as target the site of deposition in the lungs of individual patients.