Pulmonary Delivery System

Pulmonary systems have been in development for many years and are seen as one of the few technologies that could overtake the popularity of oral delivery. We are not talking about your standard Meter Dose Inhaler systems (MDIs), but the newer pulmonary technologies as they are being developed by Mektar Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, and many other companies.


Inhalation delivery systems have made significant advances in recent years. Now, using microscopic, lighter-than-air microcrystals and aerosols, this industry is capable of administering active drugs and chemicals into the human body simply by having you take a breath.

The key challenge is getting the drug to reach the deep lung. Historically, aerosol formulations have not been able to move the medication into the deep lung efficiently, and until recently, companies developed pulmonary drug delivery systems to dispense drugs to the airways only for local applications. MDIs, breath-activated dry powder inhalers (DPIs), liquid jet, and ultrasonic nebulizers have proved useful in the management of asthma, but such devices are not designed to deliver drugs into the deep lung.

For optimal deep lung delivery of costly proteins and peptides, it is important to use the correct aerosol particle size. Studies have established that these particles should range from 1 µm to 3 µm in diameter for optimal deposition efficiency.

The main advantage of delivering drugs deep into the lungs is the fact that it completely circumvents the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and thus potentially could deliver certain drugs that cannot withstand the pH conditions of the GI tract, such as the large peptide and protein molecules. Other advantages include rapid onset and patient compliance, since patients now can take a breath instead of an intravenous injection.

One technology getting very close to commercialization is the use of a handheld device to administer insulin by way of inhalation directly into a patient's lungs. This new treatment form will revolutionize the way diabetic patients’ treat their disease and has the potential to greatly decrease the number of patients using needles. Another use for this inhaler will be in the administration of pain medication to patients who are unable to tolerate strong analgesics by mouth. Potential markets include pain treatment for late-stage cancer or pre-operative and post-operative pain medications for patients unable to swallow.

For these types of applications, Aclar® laminates are providing the moisture barrier to protect the drug from the environment as well as ensure the purity and concentration of the drug formulation. This transparent film provides benefit for quality assurance during manufacturing as well as the opportunity for visual inspection by the patients before use.