Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has taken an early initiative in the field of respiratory drugs and developed five novel formulations which the DRDO will take to multi-centric trials with the help of private organisations and the Army soon.
The new formulations include betagonists and nitric oxide donor drugs that release nitric oxide at the site of action (alveoli). Using scintigraphy, their deep penetration into the lungs (5-15 times more than the conventional methods) has been confirmed. Their therapeutic benefit has also been confirmed in human beings as part of zero-phase human trial ahead of regular clinical trials, sources at DRDO disclosed.
The utility of these formulations has been shown in cases with pulmonary hypertension in increasing oxygen transfer to the blood, in improvement of lung perfusion and in reducing cardio-pulmonary stress. Enhancement in blood oxygen and lung perfusion was confirmed by pulse-oximetry and lung perfusion scintigraphy, respectively, sources added.
“These formulations are likely to be a new form of treatment in asthma, chronic bronchitis and ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome). In all these conditions, the present treatment is inadequate and there is a further scope for improvement,” a senior scientist in the DRDO said.
The agency is now planning to launch multi-centric trials and tied up with the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute in Delhi and RBTB Hospital in Delhi. It has also roped in pharmaceutical companies like Hamdard and Cipla to further develop and commercialise these formulations.
Using conventional respiratory formulations only five per cent of the inhaled drug penetrates to the depths in the lung towards the alveoli and the therapeutic effect on the lungs becomes limited. Hence only a few respiratory formulations of salbutamol and steroids have been developed though a number of diseases afflict the alveoli. This has prompted the DRDO to venture into this therapeutic area.
The new formulations include betagonists and nitric oxide donor drugs that release nitric oxide at the site of action (alveoli). Using scintigraphy, their deep penetration into the lungs (5-15 times more than the conventional methods) has been confirmed. Their therapeutic benefit has also been confirmed in human beings as part of zero-phase human trial ahead of regular clinical trials, sources at DRDO disclosed.
The utility of these formulations has been shown in cases with pulmonary hypertension in increasing oxygen transfer to the blood, in improvement of lung perfusion and in reducing cardio-pulmonary stress. Enhancement in blood oxygen and lung perfusion was confirmed by pulse-oximetry and lung perfusion scintigraphy, respectively, sources added.
“These formulations are likely to be a new form of treatment in asthma, chronic bronchitis and ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome). In all these conditions, the present treatment is inadequate and there is a further scope for improvement,” a senior scientist in the DRDO said.
The agency is now planning to launch multi-centric trials and tied up with the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute in Delhi and RBTB Hospital in Delhi. It has also roped in pharmaceutical companies like Hamdard and Cipla to further develop and commercialise these formulations.
Using conventional respiratory formulations only five per cent of the inhaled drug penetrates to the depths in the lung towards the alveoli and the therapeutic effect on the lungs becomes limited. Hence only a few respiratory formulations of salbutamol and steroids have been developed though a number of diseases afflict the alveoli. This has prompted the DRDO to venture into this therapeutic area.
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