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Alternative sugars as potential carriers for dry powder inhalations
1Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Christian Albrecht University Kiel, Gutenbergstrasse 76, Kiel 24118, Germany. steckel@pharmazie.uni-kiel.de
International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|January 17, 2004
Summary
Alternative carriers for dry powder inhalers (DPIs) like mannitol show promise, but variability in raw material quality significantly impacts drug delivery performance. Hygroscopic sugars demonstrated poor dispersibility for DPI formulations.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Drug Delivery
Background:
- Lactose monohydrate is a common carrier in dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations.
- Lactose is unsuitable for certain drugs due to interactions with its reducing sugar group, necessitating alternative carriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate alternative sugar-based carriers (mannitol, glucose, sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol) for DPI formulations.
- To assess the impact of carrier properties and conditioning on aerosolization performance.
Main Methods:
- Physicochemical characterization of raw carrier materials.
- Preparation of drug/carrier blends using budesonide as a model drug.
- Evaluation of aerosolization behavior, focusing on fine particle fraction (FPF).
Main Results:
- Significant variability in FPF was observed across different qualities and sources of mannitol (15-50%).
- Similar variability issues were noted for other alternative carriers.
- Relative humidity conditioning substantially decreased FPF, indicating sensitivity to moisture.
Conclusions:
- Mannitol demonstrates potential as a DPI drug carrier, but careful selection of material quality is crucial.
- More hygroscopic sugars exhibited poor dispersibility, limiting their utility in DPIs.
- Carrier variability and environmental conditions significantly influence DPI formulation performance.