Researchers Seek to Improve Inhaled Drug Formulations

Pharmaceutical science researchers at Monash University in Australia, are using a universal powder tester from Freeman Technology to investigate novel techniques for improving the flow properties of excipients for inhaled product formulation. With dry powder inhalers, the flow properties of the formulation influence both ease of manufacture and the aerosolisation process needed for drug delivery. To achieve effective delivery, lactose is often used as a carrier for the very fine active pharmaceutical ingredients in inhaled formulations. One way to improve its flow properties is by applying a very thin magnesium stearate coating using mechanofusion. Using the FT4 to compare the influence on the powder behaviour of this technique with a conventional blending approach, the Monash team led by Dr David Morton showed mechanofusion to be more effective with the instrument detecting the smaller improvements caused by simply mixing the additive with the lactose. The aim is now to define parameters that enable the prediction of both in-process flow behaviour and aerosolisation.