An Engineered Spray-dried Inhalation Powder Containing HPMC Capable to Prolong In Vivo Cough Suppression

Cataldo Martucci – Scientist, Chiesi Farmaceutici; Franco Bassani – Senior Lab Technician, Chiesi Farmaceutici; Daniela Miglietta – Head Scientist, Chiesi Farmaceutici; Gino Villetti – Senior Director, Pharmacology, Chiesi Farmaceutici; Annagiulia Balducci – Scientist, Chiesi Farmaceutici; Fabio Sonvico – Associate Professor, Food and Drug, Università di Parma; Francesca Buttini – Associate Professor, Food and Drug, Università di Parma

Introduction: Chronic cough (CC) can severely affect quality of life of patients becoming a serious disease. Current therapies mainly act either centrally or blocking signal conduction, often causing side effects. Recent research has focused on peripheral targets, such as oral P2X3 receptor antagonists and inhaled NaV channel blockers [1]. Inhalation therapy is ideal to avoid systemic effects targeting cough receptors in the upper airways. This study aimed to enhance the anti-cough effect of carcainium chloride, an inhaled lidocaine-based NaV blocker [2], by creating a spray-dried (SD) inhalation powder using HPMC (K4M high MW, K100 low MW) as a polymeric excipient able to modulate the compound's release.