Use of a fundamental approach to spray-drying formulation design to facilitate the development of multi-component dry powder aerosols for respiratory drug delivery.

Purpose: A fundamental approach incorporating current theoretical models into aerosol formulation design potentially reduces experimental work for complex formulations. A D-amino acid mixture containing D-Leucine (D-Leu), D-Methionine, D-Tryptophan, and D-Tyrosine was selected as a model formulation for this approach.

Methods: Formulation design targets were set, with the aim of producing a highly dispersible D-amino acid aerosol. Particle formation theory and a spray dryer process model were applied with boundary conditions to the design targets, resulting in a priori predictions of particle morphology and necessary spray dryer process parameters. Two formulations containing 60% w/w trehalose, 30% w/w D-Leu, and 10% w/w remaining D-amino acids were manufactured.

Results: The design targets were met. The formulations had rugose and hollow particles, caused by deformation of a crystalline D-Leu shell while trehalose remained amorphous, as predicted by particle formation theory. D-Leu acts as a dispersibility enhancer, ensuring that both formulations: 1) delivered over 40% of the loaded dose into the in vitro lung region, and 2) achieved desired values of lung airway surface liquid concentrations based on lung deposition simulations.

Conclusions: Theoretical models were applied to successfully achieve complex formulations with design challenges a priori. No further iterations to the design process were required.