Degradation of lipid based drug delivery formulations during nebulization

Encapsulating pharmaceuticals in protective lipid based nanoparticles, and nebulizing them towards the target area in the body offers a range of clinical advantages. However, the process of nebulization might possibly damage sensitive nanoparticle structures, such as liposomes, resulting in loss of active pharmaceutical ingredients. We compare this loss for two types of lung inhalation devices: high-frequency piezo-actuated vibrating mesh nebulizers and non-actuated continuous jet nebulizers. We find that vibrating mesh nebulizers cause model liposomes to release more than ten times as much encapsulated material as the continuous jet nebulizers because the energies involved in nebulization are much larger. This result highlights the importance of applying a mild nebulization technology when administering shear-sensitive drug formulations such as lipid nanoparticle based drugs to the lungs.