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DPI Technologies: Time for a Rethink?

Although DPI technology has advanced since its first introduction, effectiveness has been compromised by a poor appreciation of patient need. But with compliance now increasingly important – and huge potential markets emerging – is it time to radically rethink DPI design?

DPI technology – the dry powder inhaler – dates back to the Spinhaler, launched by Fisons in the late 1960s (see Figure 1). This device represented a step change in drug delivery for the control of asthma, and also a catalyst for other DPIs, introduced for the treatment of additional pulmonary conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A key driver in the development of DPIs was the need to reduce coordination errors frequently encountered with the already existing pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs). Since the Spinhaler, however, technology development has been incremental, often ad hoc, and seemingly driven more by regulatory requirements than by patient need. In addition, the drugs used within DPIs (typically bronchodilators and corticosteroids) have changed little during the last 30 years, making inhaler design one of the few ways that a pharmaceutical company can achieve market differentiation.

This has resulted in a landscape where multiple DPIs co-exist, similar in function but different in operation. This causes confusion for prescribing clinicians, and compromises compliance if patients are not taught how to use an inhaler properly. As a result, the compliant use of DPIs is now causing as much concern as that historically associated with pMDIs.

Read the full article from the June issue of IPT June below.