Because DPIs are a drug/device combination product, there are three critical components within the overall product that developers must select and evaluate: the device, the formulation and (when using a capsule-based inhaler) the capsule itself. These components form what may be called “the DPI interaction triangle.” Using a risk-based approach that ensures the appropriate technologies […]
Archives
This article discusses principles of capsule puncturing then presents a comparative study of puncturing forces in gelatin and HPMC capsules. There are multiple applications in which the testing presented here could be beneficial, to capsule manufacturers for their quality control measures, to manufacturers of capsule-based inhalation products and, by extension, to patients utilizing those medications. […]
Over the past decades, important progress has been achieved through the introduction of new capsule types and advanced particle engineering. A range of HPMC capsules with distinct properties as well as customizable specifcations have broadened the design space for cDPI systems. The use of spray-drying technology for advanced particle engineering allows the delivery of much […]
Almost 40 years ago, Fisons Pharmaceutical Division introduced the Spinhaler device, making it the first company to use a hard gelatin capsule as a single dose container for inhalation powders in a dry powder inhaler (DPI). The first Spinhaler capsules contained 40 mg of an equal part mixture of lactose and sodium cromolyn (SC) (sodium […]
The standard treatment for asthma and COPD is inhalation therapy, achieved mainly through the use of two types of devices: the pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) and the dry powder inhaler (DPI). This article will focus on DPI devices; the features and benefits they offer patients and physicians, and the ways future trends, developments and […]
With the growing number of dry powder inhalers, it has been well recognized that a unique set of requirements related to these formulations exist separately from traditional, solid-dose, oral formulations. These requirements have implications for devices, containers and manufacturing equipment, such that a successful product will ultimately be the partnership of these. This article will […]
This article will describe some established and emerging imaging systems that can be utilized to picture two-piece capsules and will highlight potential benefits and limitations of each.
The choice of dosing unit in a DPI depends on various factors including API characteristics, required dose, interactions of the formulation with the device and other considerations. Capsules and blisters have different attributes that can lead a company to one dosing unit over the opposing type.
DPIs offer ease of coordination with the respiratory cycle compared to pMDIs and a reduced amount of drug trapped in the oropharynx. In addition, devices that do not use chlorofluorocarbon propellants are better for the environment. Within the sphere of DPIs, HPMC-capsule-based DPIs are a compelling alternative due to capsule properties of puncturing, powder aerosolization, […]
The second in a series of articles on the history of DPI capsules. Part 1 appeared in the December, 2008 issue of Inhalation.