Metered dose inhalers in the transition to low GWP propellants: what we know and what is missing to make it happen

The urgency to replace the propellants currently in use with the new sustainable ones has given rise to the need for investigation and reformulation of pMDIs.

The reformulation requires in-depth knowledge of the physico-chemical characteristics of the new propellants, which impact the atomization capacity and the plume geometry. Among the investigated propellants, HFA 152a, due to its lower vapor pressure and higher surface tension compared to HFA 134a, deliver larger particles and has a higher solvent capacity toward lipophilic drugs. On the other hand, HFO 1234ze has properties more similar to HFA 134a, but showed lower reproducibility of the generated spray, indicating a possible high susceptibility to variation in the consistency of the dose delivered. In addition, the device components currently in use are compatible with the new propellants. This allowed promising preliminary results in the re-formulation of pMDIs by academia and pharma companies. However, there is little information about the clinical studies required to allow the marketing of these new products.

Overall, studies conducted so far show that the transition is technically possible, and the main obstacle will be represented by the investment required to put the product on the market.