Dry Powder Hedgehog Inhibitors for Deep-Lung Fibrosis Delivery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for pulmonary fibrosis, such as lung transplantation and oral antifibrotic medications, are ineffective and associated with significant adverse effects, leading to poor patient compliance and a high discontinuation rate, necessitating an urgent need for alternative therapeutic approaches that can effectively target pulmonary fibrosis while minimizing systemic toxicity.
Innovation Solution
Development of inhaled dry powder formulations of hedgehog pathway inhibitors, optimized for deep lung deposition using dry powder inhalation systems, which minimize systemic side effects and enhance therapeutic efficacy by delivering high concentrations of vismodegib or taladegib directly to the lung.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If oral antifibrotic medications are used, then treatment efficacy is improved, but systemic adverse effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the drug delivery system by switching from oral administration to inhaled dry powder formulation, which localizes drug delivery to the lung tissue and separates the therapeutic action from systemic circulation, thereby maintaining efficacy while reducing systemic adverse effects
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by designing a dry powder inhalation formulation that delivers the hedgehog pathway inhibitor directly to the lung interstitium and alveolar spaces, creating high local drug concentration at the disease site while minimizing systemic exposure and associated adverse effects
2Reliability
If oral antifibrotic medications are used, then treatment efficacy is improved, but patient compliance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the treatment approach by developing an inhaled formulation that patients can self-administer at home, eliminating the need for complex monitoring and management required by oral medications, thereby improving compliance while maintaining efficacy
3Reliability
If lung transplantation is performed, then survival is improved, but availability and accessibility worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service by developing an inhaled dry powder formulation that patients can self-administer without requiring surgical intervention or hospitalization, providing a scalable treatment option that is much more widely available than lung transplantation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The inhaled formulations achieve epithelial lining fluid concentrations 16-29 times higher than oral doses, improving treatment efficacy and reducing systemic adverse effects, thereby providing a more tolerable and effective treatment option for pulmonary fibrosis.
Implementation Method 1
achieve the therapeutic effect in deep lung tissue by cellular adsorption at a surface of an alveolar membrane
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is hedgehog inhibitors delivered by inhalation to treat pulmonary fibrosis. The invention includes compositions, formulations, methods of treatment, treatment scheduling, combinations with chemotherapeutic agents, and methods of manufacturing a dry powder hedgehog inhibitor formulation design to enable deposition in the deep lung based on achieving therapeutically effective formulation specifics and particle size distribution. In specific examples, vismodegib or taladegib is formulated with an excipient, such as mannitol, trehalose, or L-leucine terrific necessary parameters for advantageous delivery to a patient. The formulations are designed to be placed in a device for dry powder inhalation that is cooperatively designed and configured to deliver the dose resulting in a reduction in the progression of a progressive pulmonary fibrotic disorder.