Inhaled Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Asthma and COPD

Description:

Inhaled therapies form the cornerstone for treatment of patients with asthma and COPD. Evolving technology has resulted in availability of a wide range of devices for delivery of inhaled drugs. The four different delivery systems — pressurized metered-dose inhalers, slow mist inhalers, dry powder inhalers, and nebulizers — are unique in design and require distinct inhalational instructions for correct use. This book provides current information about inhalation devices, including their advantages and disadvantages, with guidance for optimal techniques of use. The book emphasizes appropriate selection of inhalation devices based on patient and health care professional factors as well as device attributes that allow selection of the right medication in the right inhalation device at the right time for the right patient.

Key Features:
• Addresses the objective of precision medicine – the right medication in the right inhaler device at the right time.
• Inputs by international thought leaders who have published widely on inhaled medications and/or inhaled delivery systems for clinicians, trainees and respiratory therapists.
• Discusses the development of audio-based systems and smart inhalers for patient monitoring.

Foreword

Inhalation is the preferred route of administration of nearly all medications for the treatment of asthma and COPD via various hand-held devices or nebulizer systems. While hand-held devices are commonly used because of their relative simplicity and convenience, technical challenges to their correct use are frequently not met, resulting in ineffective delivery of these medications to the lungs, thus undermining their clinical benefit. Nebulizer systems for medication delivery, while less convenient than hand-held devices, are most often used in the hospital and emergency room settings and serve as valuable alternatives to hand-held devices in outpatients who are unable to master the technical challenges to their effective use. Asthma and COPD affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and COPD is the third leading cause of death globally, underscoring the vital importance of effective delivery of inhaled medications.

Drs. Donald A. Mahler and Rajiv Dhand, two widely recognized and highly respected authorities on inhaled delivery systems with whom I have had the distinct privilege to serve in various committees and conferences related to aerosol therapy, have assembled an international group of distinguished experts to contribute to their book a total of 14 chapters covering a wide range of key topics relevant to inhaled delivery systems for treating asthma and COPD, in addition to other respiratory diseases (cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and pulmonary hypertension) responsive to a variety of medications deliverable by the inhaled route.

Their book is an up-to-date and comprehensive review of the mechanics and technical aspects of differing inhaled delivery systems, the requirements for their optimal use by both adult and pediatric patients, their relative advantages and disadvantages depending on host characteristics, their use in different clinical settings and for the treatment of different respiratory disorders, the ongoing development of “smart” inhalers utilizing advanced digital technology to optimize delivery technique, patient adherence, and the physician-patient relationship, and practical issues regarding cost and patient access in the current regulatory environment. As such, the book serves as a uniquely valuable resource for a variety of health care professionals, as well as inhalational device manufacturers.