Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 19, 2025

Dry Powder and Nebulized Aerosol Inhalation of Pharmaceuticals Delivered to Mice Using a Nose-only Exposure System
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Dry Powder and Nebulized Aerosol Inhalation of Pharmaceuticals Delivered to Mice Using a Nose-only Exposure System

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Inhaled RNA Therapeutics for Obstructive Airway Diseases: Recent Advances and Future Prospects

You Xu1, Aneesh Thakur1, Yibang Zhang1,2

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Pharmaceutics
|February 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Novel inhaled RNA therapeutics offer a promising new avenue for treating obstructive airway diseases like COPD and asthma, addressing limitations of current treatments. Further research is needed to advance these advanced RNA medicines to clinical application.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonary Medicine and Pharmacology
  • RNA Therapeutics and Drug Delivery

Background:

  • Obstructive airway diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, are major global health burdens.
  • Current inhaled therapies for these conditions have insufficient efficacy in halting disease progression and reducing mortality.
  • There is a critical need for innovative therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current state of inhaled therapeutics for COPD and asthma, focusing on quality attributes.
  • To explore the therapeutic potential and safety of novel drug modalities, particularly RNA therapeutics.
  • To discuss advancements in manufacturing, formulation, and delivery challenges for inhalable solid dosage forms and RNA therapeutics.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review of conventional inhaled drugs for COPD and asthma.
  • Analysis of recent advances in manufacturing thermostable solid dosage forms for pulmonary administration.
  • Discussion of delivery technologies and challenges for inhaled RNA therapeutics.

Main Results:

  • Inhalation provides targeted drug delivery to airways, minimizing systemic exposure.
  • RNA therapeutics present opportunities for highly specific treatment of airway diseases.
  • Progress has been made in developing inhalable dry powder formulations, but clinical translation faces obstacles.

Conclusions:

  • Novel inhaled RNA-based therapeutics hold significant promise for treating obstructive airway diseases.
  • Overcoming delivery challenges for inhaled RNA therapeutics is crucial for clinical success.
  • Further research is essential to bridge knowledge gaps and advance RNA medicine from the lab to the bedside.
Keywords:
RNA therapeuticsasthmachronic obstructive pulmonary diseasedrug deliverydry powderinhaled medicinequality attributes

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