Tim Gardner, director of Manufacturing & NPI at Vectura explores the considerations to make when manufacturing formulations for dry powder inhaled products.
The use of dry powder inhalers (DPIs) to deliver drugs have traditionally been focused on treating respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as the pulmonary administration of the active ingredients provides direct and rapid action.
DPI products are a combination of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), formulated with excipients and carrier molecules, within a device. The design and development of these must be conducted in symbiosis, as each directly impacts upon the other. Only when the drug substance can be delivered effectively by an appropriate device can the drug be seen to be successful; however, the implications for commercial manufacturing of products should be considered as early as possible within the design, to ensure that the drug’s efficacy is matched by economic viability.