What If the Jab Were a Puff? A Look at Drug Delivery to the Lungs

In this episode we explore the advantages of using inhalers for drug delivery with Lonza experts Kim Shepard and Matt Ferguson.

In late 2022, China introduced the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine to be inhaled into the lungs. The Chinese scientists who developed the vaccine tout its ability to directly stimulate the immune system’s first line of defense – the lungs’ mucous membrane. However, vaccines are just the tip of the inhaler iceberg. While we all are familiar with metered-dose inhalers, as well as nebulizers, for asthma, a whole range of therapeutic options for many diseases are becoming available through the technology known as dry-powder inhalers, or DPI.

While the first commercially available DPIs appeared in the seventies, recent advances have opened the door to treatments for diabetes and even cancer. As with the Covid-19 vaccine, direct delivery to the lungs can be more efficient, but it also has the advantage of lowering toxicity by bypassing the liver altogether. Still, getting the correct amount of the molecule to the right part of the lung without unwanted immune responses is tricky business. Recently developed manufacturing techniques and new types of molecules make drug inhalers a continually evolving field full of potential advantages for patients.

Curious to Know More?

Listen to this episode of A View On Manufacturing Inhaled Drug Products to learn more about what it takes to develop effective treatments with insights from Lonza’s Associate Director, R&D, Kim Shepard and Matt Ferguson, Lonza’s Head of Respiratory Drug Delivery.