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Nanomedicine and Nanoscale Delivery (Focus Group – NND)

Nano-in-micro inhalable spray-dried formulations co-delivering repurposed drugs for lung cancer treatment

Francesca Buttini – Associate Professor, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy; Margherita Contigliani – Master's student, Faculty of Pharmacy from University of Coimbra; Mendes Maria – Postdoctoral Researcher, Faculty of Pharmacy from University of Coimbra; Carla Vitorino – Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy from University of Coimbra
Introduction:

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for the majority of cases (1). Conventional chemotherapy is limited by systemic toxicity and drug resistance. Drug repurposing combined with inhalation-based nanomedicine offers a promising strategy to enhance local drug delivery while reducing development time. This work explores spray-dried lipid nanoparticles co-encapsulating celecoxib and cloxiquine for localized pulmonary therapy in NSCLC (2–5).

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the rationale for combining drug repurposing and inhalation-based nanomedicine in NSCLC therapy.
  • Describe the formulation and spray-drying strategies used to produce inhalable lipid nanoparticle powders.
  • Interpret how physicochemical properties influence aerosol performance, drug release, and in vitro efficacy.