Inhaled biopharmaceutical formulations are increasingly attractive to treat not only a wide range of respiratory but also systemic diseases given:

• The lungs large surface area available for drug absorption and the avoidance of first-pass metabolism;
• Biopharmaceuticals (BP) higher specificity, lower toxicity and more predictable in vivo action over small molecules

However,

Efficient delivery of biopharmaceuticals to the lungs still presents a challenge:

• The generation of a stable aerosol with adequate aerodynamic properties while preserving the biopharmaceutical (BP) integrity.

Thus,

Particle engineering technology employed to meet this balance plays a pivotal role – Spray Drying (SD) emerges as a viable candidate:

• From an inhalation standpoint: Relative simplicity, cost effectiveness and scalability with increased control over key aerosol features;
• From a biopharmaceutical standpoint: Mild temperature exposure, commercial availability of miniaturized SD set-ups

Goal: Spray Drying assessment as a suitable particle engineering technology for the production of composite inhalable powders featuring a model biopharmaceutical