The prevalence of respiratory diseases continues to grow globally. According to the World Health Organization, around 262 million people are affected by asthma, which is also the most common chronic illness among children1; and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide2 and it is estimated that 400 million people suffer this condition globally3. The high burden of diseases and long-term conditions that affect the respiratory system is increasing the urgent need for effective inhalation treatments. Once seen as a problem for industrialized, developed countries, these conditions are now rapidly spreading worldwide, and demand for inhaled medication is rising fast.
Designed to deliver active ingredients directly to the lungs, inhaled therapies overcome barriers related to other ways of administration. But this pathway demands an absolute precise formulation. As pioneer codevelopers of Dry Powder Inhalation (DPI), at DFE Pharma we not only have a long heritage in excipients for inhalation, but also we are continuously innovating in new premium solutions for inhaled therapies.
Being a leader in DPI, the fastest-growing and most significant form of inhaled treatment, at DFE Pharma we offer optimized excipients to match the increasing range of inhalant devices, each with different performance characteristics.
Key role of excipients in inhaled treatments
Inhaled medicines save lives and improve the quality of life for millions of people. The effectiveness of both inhalation devices and the treatments they deliver is closely linked to the quality of the carrier used. Excipients are essential to safeguard the right delivery and performance of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in any medicine. In the case of dry powder inhalers, this role is even more critical, as excipients need to be carefully designed to deliver the right active ingredients to the right location in the right quantities. In DPI, excipients act as a carrier, they assure that the active ingredients are released in controlled dosages exactly as required.
DFE Pharma provides a comprehensive range of lactose-based excipients, designed to offer the right characteristics for the full variety of inhaled medicines already in the market. And for those therapies in development, we work together with R&D teams of pharmaceutical companies, to find the most appropriate formulation for each molecule and device combination. DFE Pharma inhalation grade lactose can be tailored to meet specific customer needs, and developed jointly with formulators to ensure exactly the right outcomes for patients.
Please contact one of our experts to find the most appropriate excipients for inhaled therapies.