Development of novel dry powder inhalers with high performance which disintegrate and well in the lungs

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07904
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Physical pharmacy
• Research Institution: Meijo University
• Principal Investigator: Okamoto Hirokazu 名城大学, 薬学部, 教授 (00308941)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 吸入粉末剤 / 多孔性微粒子 / 粒度分布 / 空気力学的質量中位径 / 耐吸湿性 / 崩壊性 / 当てはめ計算

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Inhalation therapy is widely applied to treat pulmonary disorders such as asthma and COPD. However, low availability of an inhaled formulation at deep lungs is a problem to be solved. I designed several prototype porous formulations with high flowability, dispersibility, and antihygroscopicity, which are broken into tiny segments by inhalation, delivered deep into the lungs, and swell up for a short term to remain on the surface of lung epithelium at a high extent. It was suggested that spray-freeze-drying aqueous solutions composed of excipients contributing to antihygroscopicity, disintegrability, and hygroscopicity at proper compositions gave aimed powders. The present study is unique and shows a new strategy to develop dry powder inhalers with high performance.

Free Research Field

製剤学、薬剤学、薬物送達学、製剤設計学、吸入剤開発

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

耐吸湿性に優れ吸入時に崩壊・膨潤する吸入粉末剤の概念はこれまでになく、学術的に吸入粉末剤の新たな方向性を示すものである。吸入療法は患者の吸入手技による吸入効率のばらつきが大きい。吸入効率が高い吸入粉末剤は吸入療法の個人差を抑えることができ、社会的に貢献できる。吸入療法は今後遺伝子や抗体医薬など高額な医薬品に拡大され可能性が高い。最深部送達率が高い吸入粉末剤を実用化することで、医療経済的にも貢献できる。