Precision Particles for Persistent Asthma
For millions living with asthma, the daily ritual of using an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) like budesonide (BUD) is a literal lifesaver. However, there is a well-known hurdle in respiratory medicine: adherence. When patients are required to use inhalers multiple times a day, or when they experience side effects, they are much more likely to skip doses.
Recent research from Le Van Bui (2025) presented at the Drug Delivery to the Lungs (DDL) 2025 conference offers a promising solution: an innovative dry powder for inhalation (DPI) designed for controlled release and prolonged lung retention.
Engineering a Better Particle
Standard budesonide clears the lungs quickly. To solve this, researchers used a spray-drying particle engineering technique to create two new formulations: BH5.1 and BH20.1. These particles are encased in a lipid matrix (Hydrogenated Castor Oil and TPGS) that acts like a slow-release “shield,” keeping the medicine in the lung tissue longer.
Assessing the Lungs: From Screening to Precision
To prove these formulations work, the study used a sophisticated two-step process to measure how well the guinea pigs could breathe after treatment:
1. Screening with Whole-Body Plethysmography
First, researchers used non-invasive plethysmography. This is a non-invasive “screening” tool where the animal breathes naturally in a chamber. It measures Penh (Enhanced Pause), which tells us how “twitchy” or reactive the airways are when exposed to an irritant like methacholine.
2. Precision with flexiVent (Forced Oscillation Technique)
Researchers then used the flexiVent system which is the “gold standard” in respiratory research. It involves a controlled ventilation technique that measures:
- Airway Resistance (Rrs): How constricted the airways are.
- Elastance (Ers): How stiff or flexible the lung tissue is.
Results
The findings were significant. Despite being administered at a lower dose (800 µg), the engineered BH formulations outperformed the standard micronized BUD.
- Superior Anti-Inflammatory Power: The BH formulations significantly reduced eosinophils—the white blood cells that drive asthma inflammation. Histology confirmed less “clogging” and smoother airway walls.
- Restored Mechanics: The FlexiVent data showed that the BH formulations restored lung resistance and elastance to levels close to healthy controls.
- The Dosage Gap: Standard budesonide required a much higher dose (1200 µg) to achieve the same results that the innovative BH powders achieved at only 800 µg.
Key findings
The controlled-release powders were more effective at a 33% lower dose than the standard treatment.
Conclusion
The goal of this “slow-and-steady” delivery is to move toward a once-daily treatment regimen. • Better Adherence: One dose a day is much easier to remember than two. • Fewer Side Effects: By using a lower total dose while keeping the medicine in the lungs (rather than letting it leak into the bloodstream), the risk of side effects may decrease. • Better Control: Sustained medication levels mean fewer “gaps” in protection throughout the day. While these results are currently preclinical, the ability to restore a “healthy” lung profile using a lower, controlled-release dose is a major milestone. The next step is further investigating the ideal dosing frequency to see if this can officially become a breakthrough “once-a-day” therapy.
Reference
- Efficacy evaluation of controlled-release budesonide dry powder for inhalation for moderate-to-severe asthma in guinea pigs. (2025). Le Van Bui, et al., Drug Delivery to the Lungs Conference Proceedings, Volume 36.
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