Excipient enhanced growth (EEG): Expanding delivery options for the treatment of lung diseases

Excipient enhanced growth (EEG) is progressing through toxicological studies and showing promise for treatment of asthma and lung cancer by delivering active molecules to target sites in the lungs. This article discusses development of two candidates, budesonide and gemcitabine, for local lung delivery using this formulation approach in combination with traditional spray drying for the generation of respirable engineered particles.

The excipient enhanced growth (EEG) formulation strategy is a breakthrough technology that has the potential to meet the long-elusive need for delivering medications directly into lung tissue. Currently two programs are seeking to advance this technology through toxicology studies: budesonide for the treatment of asthma and gemcitabine for local treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. There has been a robust study of formulation and particle design, culminating in short-term stability and scale-up to clinically relevant scales. Although the two programs utilize a similar formulation design and manufacturing process, each faced unique challenges.