Development of solid drug nanoparticle dispersions for pulmonary delivery of niclosamide and nitazoxanide via vibrating mesh nebulisation†

Abstract

The optimum delivery of very poorly soluble drug compounds is challenging, especially if targeting of disease sites is required. Delivery to the lung is hampered by a range of physiological issues, and inhalation may be the most appropriate route. When breathing is compromised by infection or poor lung capacity, nebulisation may enable therapeutics to be carried deep into the respiratory tract. Here we report the development of nebulised aqueous formulations of two highly water-insoluble drugs with demonstrated anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and evaluate their pulmonary delivery using in vitro models that include the breathing patterns of children and COVID-19 infected adults.