The pulmonary route is gaining increasing popularity as a fast and effective way of delivering drugs to the lungs both locally and systemically. There are several reasons for this interest, noted Conrad Winters, PhD, director, and Filipe Neves, PhD, group leader, both from the Drug Product Development Group at Hovione. “Firstly, advances in device technology have made inhalation drug delivery more convenient and patient-friendly. Secondly, from a therapeutic angle, the lungs provide a high absorption area with extensive vascularisation, leading to rapid delivery of the drug. Moreover, because it circumvents first-pass metabolism, lower doses can be administered compared with the oral route.”

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