Comparison of Formoterol, Glycopyrrolate, and Beclomethasone Dipropionate Pharmacokinetic Profile after Inhaled Administration as pMDI Using HFA134a or HFA152a Propellant: Preclinical Assessment of Drug Exposure in Sprague-Dawley Rat Model.

A fixed combination of formoterol, glycopyrrolate, and beclomethasone dipropionate is approved in some geographic areas as pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) formulation for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Current pMDIs use hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs) as a propellant, such as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFA134a), that have a high global warming potential (GWP), but their use is being progressively lowered to reduce impact on climate. One option to reduce the carbon footprint of the pMDI products while preserving pMDIs as a therapeutic option is reformulating the current pMDIs using low GWP propellants, such as 1,1-difluoroethane (HFA152a).

Airway Deposition of Extrafine Inhaled Triple Therapy in Patients with COPD: A Model Approach Based on Functional Respiratory Imaging Computer Simulations.

Introduction: There is a clear correlation between small airways dysfunction and poor clinical outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and it is therefore important that inhalation therapy (both bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory) can deposit in the small airways. Two single-inhaler triple therapy (SITT) combinations are currently approved for the maintenance treatment of COPD: extrafine formulation beclomethasone dipropionate/formoterol fumarate/glycopyrronium bromide (BDP/FF/GB), and non-extrafine formulation fluticasone furoate/vilanterol/umeclidinium (FluF/VI/UMEC). This study evaluated the lung deposition of the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), long-acting β-agonist (LABA), and long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) components of these two SITTs.

Raman spectroscopy as a PAT for pharmaceutical blending: Advantages and disadvantages.

Raman spectroscopy has been positively evaluated as a tool for the in-line and real-time monitoring of powder blending processes and it has been proved to be effective in the determination of the endpoint of the mixing, showing its potential role as process analytical technology (PAT). The aim of this study is to show advantages and disadvantages of Raman spectroscopy with respect to the most traditional HPLC analysis. The spectroscopic results, obtained directly on raw powders, sampled from a two-axis blender in real case conditions, were compared with the chromatographic data obtained on the same samples.

Delivery characteristics of a low-resistance dry-powder inhaler used to deliver the long-acting muscarinic antagonist glycopyrronium.

Objectives: The long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) glycopyrronium (NVA237) has recently been approved as a once-daily treatment for COPD. The objectives of this study were to determine the dose delivery characteristics of glycopyrronium and compare them with those of the LAMA tiotropium, both delivered by their respective capsule-based dry-powder inhalers (DPIs).

Research Design And Methods: Seven inhalation profiles derived from patients with moderate and severe COPD were reproduced to determine the aerodynamic particle size distribution of glycopyrronium delivered by the Breezhaler device, a low-resistance DPI†.