Devices and formulation technologies

The GyroHaler^® is a cost-effective, multi-unit dose dry powder inhaler designed to deliver locally acting drugs to the lungs.  The active pharmaceutical is packaged in blisters and it is suitable for the delivery of a wide range of respiratory drugs.

The OmniHaler^® is a cost-effective, multi-unit dose dry powder inhaler designed to deliver locally acting drugs to the lungs. The active pharmaceutical is packaged in blisters and it is suitable for the delivery of a wide range of respiratory drugs.

The Clickhaler^® is a multi-dose, reservoir dry powder inhaler. It is approved for use to deliver a number of drugs used to treat patients with asthma and COPD (salbutamol, beclometasone, formoterol, budesonide and procaterol) in Europe and Japan.  Clickhaler^® is inexpensive to produce and is fully automated.

The Duohaler^® is a fixed dual-therapy, passive, multi-dose DPI. It has two separate drug reservoirs that feed two individual drug formulations to two separate metering chambers from which the drugs are delivered to the user in the same breath, avoiding co-formulation issues.

Aspirair^® is a high-performance device, designed to deliver dry powdered drugs with high lung penetration and low dose variability. The device is conveniently sized, simple to use, and economical compared to other ‘active’ inhalers.  It is a multiple use device using individual foil blisters.

The Aspirair^® alone or in conjunction with appropriate formulation technologies, can be used to deliver systemic products to the deep lung efficiently and effectively. Aspirair^® can also be used to deliver proteins and macromolecules.

Unit Dose devices are being developed as re-useable or disposable single-dose dry powder inhalers.  They are designed to be easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture and may be suitable for a wide range of conditions that require a rapid onset of effect or that are for occasional use.

PowderHale^® is Vectura’s patented dry powder inhaler formulation technology, designed to allow aerosolised drug particles to achieve high lung penetration with low dose variability. This is achieved by the incorporation of an additional pharmacologically inactive excipient, known as a Force Control Agent (FCA) to the drug formulation.

The formulation of drugs for inhalation is more complex than for oral delivery. Different approaches are needed depending on whether the treatment is for local or systemic action. For systemic delivery the dose needs to be formulated and produced such that particles are less than five microns in size. Vectura has know-how and expertise in the following formulation technologies: micronisation, blending, spray drying, polyol stabilisation and pressurised metered dose inhaler (pMDI) formulation.  Please see the glossary for individual definitions.