InhalationDrugDeliveryGettheedgeinacompetitiveenvironment.1MeteredDoseInhalersMDIs—ThePreferredChoiceforInhalationTherapyIn1956,3Mintroducedtheworld’sfirstMeteredDoseInhaler(MDI).Sincethen—formorethan40years—MDIshavebeenusedtodelivermedicationsthattreatpatientswithavarietyofpulmonarydiseases.Today,theMDI—popularwithbothphysiciansandpatientsalike—isthemostwidelyusedsystemforrespiratorydelivery,usedbymorethan70millionpatients.Morethan500millionMDIsareusedannuallyworldwide,andthatnumbercontinuestogrow.MDIsdominatethetherapeuticinhalationmarketandareusedbyover80%ofallasthmapatientsworldwide.Today’senvironmentismorecompetitivethanever.2NeverHasSomethingSoLittleMeantSoMuchtoSoManyWhydevelopanMDItoday?Ifthenumbersdon’tconvinceyou—over500millionMDIsinuseannuallyworldwide—therearemanyotherfactorsencouragingMDIdevelopment.MDIsare,byfar,themostpopularmeansofdeliveringdrugstothelungs—popularitypredicatedonproventherapeuticeffectivenessanddemonstratedcost-effectiveness.Todaymorethanever,companiesarelookingatinhalationtothelungsasaviablerouteforsystemicdeliveryofnewcompounds.MDIsrapidlydeliverpreciseamountsofmedication,doseafterdose.Doseconsistencyisvirtuallyassuredbecausethedevicedoesthemeteringautomatically,independentofthepatient’sinspiratoryrate.Efficacy...convenience...precision...flexibility...it’snowondertheMDIispreferredbypatientsandphysiciansalike.Someoftheinhalersmanufacturedby3M:theworld’slargestcontractmanufacturerofmetereddoseinhalers.3Mhelpsitspartnersgetofftoafaststart.3TheMDIAdvantageWhyMDIsArePreferredTheinhalationroutehastraditionallybeenusedfordeliveringdrugsthatexerttheirtherapeuticeffectinthelungs.WhileMDIsdominatetheinhalationmarket,DryPowderInhalers(DPIs),thoughavailableforyears,haveonlymanagedtocaptureasmallmarketshare.*Thedifferencebetweenmarketsharesissignificant.ButofgreatersignificancearethemanyimportantfeaturesandbenefitsofMDIsthatmakethemthepreferredchoiceoverDPIsininhalationtherapy.AuniquefeaturethatbothdistinguishesMDIsfromotherinhalationdevicesandprovidesabasisfortheirpopularityandacceptanceisthewaytheinhaledmedicationisdelivered.WithMDIs,thepowersourceisinherentintheformulation.Therefore,itismorelikelyaconsistentmedicationdoseisdeliveredtothepatient,independentofthepatient’sinspirationrate.†*FromIMSAG(UK),April1997.†FromtheJournalofAerosolMedicine,Volume9,Number2,1996.MDIsdeliveraconsistentdoseofmedicationindependentoftheforceofthepatient’sinspiration.Inaddition,MDIs,bythenatureoftheirdesign,arevirtuallyimmunetotheeffectsofhumidity.BecauseMDIsprotecttheformulationfromtheenvironment,moisturesensitivityisseldomanissueoradeterrenttoeffectivetherapy.Today,DPIsrelyprimarilyontheinherentenergyofapatient’sinspirationtodisperseanddispensetheinhaleddrug.InaDPI,itistheenergyofthepatient’sinspirationthatisusedtobreakupaggregateddrugparticles,whichmayresultindose-to-dosevariability.Atslowerinspirationrates,asmallerandlessfinedoseofdrugisadministeredtothelungs.Thus,themoreapatient’sabilitytobreatheiscompromised,thelessefficienttheDPIcanbe.‡‡FromtheInternationalJournalofPharmaceutics,Volume116,1995.4MeteredDoseInhalers–Theworld’smostpopularinhalationdosageforms.5MakingaGoodThingBetter—MakingaCFC–freeMDIFormorethan40years,3MhasbeenaleaderinMDItechnology.Duringthattime,wehaveactivelysoughtnewerandbetterwaystoadvancethefieldofrespiratorymed...
