Inhaler Drug-Delivery Market to Expand, and Future Inhalers Will Be Credit Card Sized

A greater range of drugs: Advances in particle technology and the art of particle flow dynamics are expanding the number of drugs that could be used in inhaled drug delivery. In addition, the ability to create stable dry particle forms of protein and peptide drugs increases their attractiveness for dry powder inhalation; shipment as liquids requires continuous refrigeration to preserve their shelf life.

Growing market need: Inhaled medicine is being viewed as a patient friendly and cost-effective way to meet the increasing need for home health care and self-administration of drug therapies. According to analysis by Greystone Associates, inhaled administration in general, and dry powder inhalers in particular, are well positioned to take advantage of these trends and will evolve into a significant factor in future pharmaceutical development and commercialisation.

Innovative technology: Development in terms of drug delivery technology could see a leap forward with inhalers the size of a credit card. Aespironics, which specialises in pulmonary drug delivery, has discovered a way to create small, cheap inhalers. Its lead product is a credit card shaped disposable inhaler, which, it says, delivers high performance in a convenient shape and at a low cost.

The goal of Ian Soloman, its Vice President of Business Development, was to produce an inhaler that has the same characteristics as the highest performing inhalers at a fraction of the cost. The company went on to produce a tiny, breath-activated turbine inside the inhaler that beats at a mesh packet with sieve-like holes, which contains drug particles. This activity reportedly releases all the particles into the air at the same time, thereby conveying the medication directly into the lungs. Because breathing activates the turbine, no expensive electrical additions are necessary as with some inhalers. It is believed that the inhaler could replace injections, for example, for Type I diabetics, who currently need regular injected doses of insulin.

The company is now manufacturing working models for external testing by potential partners. This testing is expected to begin at the end of 2008 and if all goes well, the product could be on the market by 2011.

The drugs, the market and advances in technology are all coming together to give more efficacious delivery of drug therapies.

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