The present study focuses on the development of dry powders for inhalation as adjuvant chemotherapy in lung cancer treatment. Cisplatin was chosen as a potential candidate for a local treatment as it remains the main platinum component used in conventional chemotherapies, despite its high and cumulative systemic toxicities. Bulk cisplatin was reduced to submicron sizes using high-pressure homogenization, mixed with a solubilized lipid and/or PEGylated component and then spray-dried to produce controlled-release dry powder formulations. The obtained formulations were characterized for their physicochemical properties (particle size and morphology), aerodynamic performance and release profiles. Cisplatin content and integrity were assessed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry and 195Pt nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. DPI formulations with cisplatin contents ranging from 48.5 to 101.0% w/w exhibited high fine particle fractions ranging from 37.3% to 51.5% of the nominal dose. Formulations containing cisplatin microcrystals dispersed in solid lipid microparticles based on acceptable triglycerides for inhalation and PEGylated excipients showed a controlled-release for more than 24h and a limited burst effect. These new formulations could provide an interesting approach to increasing and prolonging drug exposure in the lung while minimizing systemic toxicities.
Keywords: Cisplatin; Cisplatin (PubChem CID:441203); Controlled-release; Dry powder inhaler; Lung cancer chemotherapy; Pulmonary delivery; Solid lipid microparticles; distearoyl phosphoethanolamine polyethylene glycol 2000, sodium salt (DSPE-mPEG-2000, PubChem CID:86278270); tristearin (PubChem CID:11146), alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS, PubChem CID:71406).
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.