Dry Powder Treprostinil Formulation for Higher Inhaled Doses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension, particularly the inhaled route using treprostinil, are cumbersome and limited by dosing constraints, making them inconvenient and less applicable to a broader patient population.
Innovation Solution
A stable dry powder inhalation formulation of treprostinil, produced using Liquidia's PRINT Technology, allows for higher dosing levels and convenient administration without the need for nebulization devices, utilizing a dry powder inhaler for precise delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If inhaled treprostinil is administered using current formulations, then the drug can be delivered to the lungs, but the dosing is constrained and the device is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the drug formulation from a liquid nebulizable solution to a dry powder inhalable formulation. This parameter change in physical state enables the use of simpler dry powder inhalers instead of complex nebulization devices, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical nebulization system (requiring power, water, and complex mechanisms) with a dry powder inhalation system that uses patient breath alone to deliver the medication. This substitution eliminates the cumbersome mechanical components while maintaining drug delivery function
2Quantity of substance
If inhaled treprostinil is administered using current formulations, then the drug can be delivered to the lungs, but the dosing levels are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The dry powder formulation allows for higher drug loading capacity compared to the nebulized liquid formulation. The powder form enables concentration of more drug substance in each inhalation event, directly increasing the quantity of substance delivered while overcoming dosing constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite dry powder formulation containing treprostinil mixed with excipients (such as mannitol or lactose) that serve as carriers. This composite material approach enables higher drug loading while maintaining flow and inhalability properties, resolving the contradiction between quantity of substance and ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
A dry powder inhalation treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension includes a dose of dry particles comprising greater than 25 micrograms of treprostinil enclosed in a capsule. The dry particles can include treprostinil, a wetting agent, a hydrophobicity modifying agent, a pH modifying agent and a buffer. A method of treating a patient having pulmonary arterial hypertension includes providing a patient a dry powder inhaler, providing the patient at least one capsule for use in the dry powder inhaler, the capsule including at least 25 micrograms of treprostinil.