Development of a System to Deliver Inhalational Antibiotics to Marmosets

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Infectious Diseases
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Inhalational antibiotics are effective for chronic lung infections like cystic fibrosis.
• Liposomal ciprofloxacin (Apulmiq) shows promise in murine models for various bacterial infections.
• Delivering inhaled drugs to nonhuman primates (NHPs) is key to bridging animal study data to human applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a methodology for delivering liposomal ciprofloxacin (Apulmiq) to common marmosets (nonhuman primates).
• To enable future efficacy studies of inhaled antibiotics in NHP models of infectious diseases.

Main Methods:

• Apulmiq was aerosolized to anesthetized marmosets using LC Sprint or Pari eFlow Rapid nebulizers.
• Animals were housed in plethysmography tubes with heads in an exposure chamber during nebulization.
• Ciprofloxacin concentrations were measured in plasma and lung tissue post-nebulization.

Main Results:

• Pharmacokinetic analysis indicated a 30-minute exposure was necessary to achieve a human-equivalent lung dose of 0.8 mg/kg.
• This study successfully demonstrated the feasibility of delivering liposomal ciprofloxacin to marmosets.

Conclusions:

• The established method allows for the assessment of inhalational liposomal ciprofloxacin efficacy in NHP infection models.
• This research paves the way for advanced preclinical testing of novel inhaled antibiotic therapies.