Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Disposable Dosators for Pulmonary Insufflation of Therapeutic Agents to Small Animals
Published on: March 30, 2017
Back to basics: the development of a simple, homogenous, two-component dry-powder inhaler formulation for the
F Buttini1, P Colombo, M P E Wenger
1Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Area delle Scienze, 43100 Parma, Italy.
Abstract:
It was hypothesised that formulating a dry-powder inhaler (DPI) using a refined, smooth grade of lactose, without fines and a polymer coated drug microparticle should produce an homogeneous formulation in which aerosolization behaviour could be modified. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop a simple two component polymer coated-budesonide/lactose blend in which the drug microparticle adhesive forces could be optimised by modifying the drug coating in order to improve aerosolization from a DPI. Budesonide microparticles (1.83 +/- 0.03 microm) were coated with the vinyl polymers by adsorption and then spray-dried. The drug was blended with three different types of lactose, checked for uniformity of mixing and loaded into Pulvinal devices. The median volume particle size of all but one of the polymer coated microparticles remained below 4 microm after spray-drying and the content uniformity for all the blends >96%. Coating the budesonide with 0.01% poly(vinyl alcohol) increased the fine particle fraction (FPF) in the next generation impactor (NGI) from 29.1 +/- 0.7% to 52.8 +/- 1.0% and reduced the force of adhesion from 410 +/- 182 to 241 +/- 82 nN with smooth lactose. This illustrates that vinyl polymers could effectively modify adhesive interactions without the need for ternary components such as fines.
Related Concept Videos
Inhaled Medications
Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Polymorphic Form-Related and Particle Size-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Overview
Oral Drug Delivery Systems: Introduction
Site-Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: Polymeric Carriers
Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs through the...

