Chapter 3 - Strategies for pulmonary delivery of drugs

Abstract

In recent years the pulmonary route of drug delivery has gained huge scientific and industrial interest and is explored widely for local and systemic delivery of pharmaceuticals to treat pulmonary and nonpulmonary diseases. The high permeability and surface area of lung provide an alternative route for drug delivery in ailments such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes. In the pulmonary route the successful administration of drugs needs a proper balance between drug formulation, the inhalation device, and the patients. This chapter presents a holistic overview of various features of drug delivery to the lungs. Besides, it also includes the physiology of the respiratory system with its associated disorders along with different methodologies to deliver drugs and recent improvement in the pulmonary drug delivery system. In addition the chapter also gives a detailed focus on mechanisms by which pulmonary drugs are administered as well as their compatibility with the excipients used. It entails the inhalation drugs products such as pressurized metered-dose inhaler, nebulizer, and dry powder inhaler that are commercially available in global markets. Also, an update for the development of inhalers with their practical considerations has been discussed along with the regulatory considerations of European Medicines Agency, Food and Drug Administration, and Health Canada. The chapter provides an overall concept on pulmonary drug delivery, which helps pharmaceutical scientist to minimize the technical and clinical gap for drug(s) administration to lungs.