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Article / Sep 10, 2019

Inhalation Drug Delivery: The Impact of Particle Size Reduction

Pharmaceutical Technology, September 2, 2019

Within the past few years, much has been learned about characterizing the particles used in inhalation therapies, with the goal of improving drug delivery to the lungs.

Optimizing the manufacturing of these therapies requires avoiding particle interactions during size reducing, blending, and capsule filling, because these can affect the final product’s quality. 

In an inhalation formulation, the physicochemical properties of size-reduced drug particles strongly affect the end product’s stability and performance. Previous studies reported that size-reduced APIs that had been milled using different techniques may present significant differences in terms of morphological and interfacial properties (1,2). Characterizing the particles’ surface properties is key to understanding API/excipient interactions and their impact on the final formulation performance. 

Selecting the micronization technique is crucial for particles that are to be used in inhalation therapies, because it will determine the API’s properties. For inhalation delivery, a narrow and controlled particle size distribution (PSD) is key to improving and consistently delivering the aerodynamic performance. With a narrow PSD and Dv905µm, the fraction of particles that reach the lungs (FPF) will be higher.

 

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Integrated approach simplifies development, reduces risk, and supports scalable manufacturing. Hovione and Industrial Design Consultancy Ltd.’s (IDC) lead single-use nasal dry powder device is now available for commercial partnerships. Hovione and IDC have completed the device design and established initial device manufacturing and supply capability, enabling pharmaceutical partners to leverage existing capsule filling infrastructure. This approach simplifies development, reduces cost and risk, and helps shorten timelines to the clinic and commercialization. “This milestone marks an important step in the evolution of our collaboration with IDC — from device innovation to a fully integrated intranasal drug delivery platform,” said Márcio Temtem, Ph.D., Vice President, Strategic Business Management, Hovione. “As the industry looks for faster, more reliable ways to bring complex therapies to patients, integration becomes critical. By bringing together nasal particle engineering science, formulation manufacturing and filling, and device technologies into a single offering, we enable a more seamless and predictable development journey, accelerating the path to market for intranasal therapies.” The nasal delivery device enables broad and targeted nasal deposition flexibility while delivering maximum usability and reliability. With a patented design and manufacturing process established, the platform is available for partnering with pharmaceutical companies on an exclusive basis as part of Hovione’s integrated offering for inhalation and nasal drug development and manufacturing. Additionally, IDC’s Managing Director, Stephen Knowles Ph.D., said the companies are now “well-advanced” with the development of a multi-use device to support an even wider range of therapies and patient needs. Read the full article at ContractPharma.com    

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