A Virtual Apparatus for Design and Testing of New Drug Formulations and Devices for Inhalation Therapy

Delivery of drugs to the lungs as aerosols is regarded as an excellent route for local or systemic administration of drugs. Aerosols have been used traditionally for treating illnesses of the respiratory tract (e.g. asthma), but new perspectives and needs on inhalation therapy have recently emerged (e.g. insulin). The percentage of drug that reaches the targeted region, the so-called respirable fraction (RF), is in average only 30% of the dose provided to the patient. Thus, the development of more efficient formulations and devices remains an important issue.