LUNG AND OROPHARYNGEAL DEPOSITIONS OF FENOTEROL HYDROBROMIDE DELIVERED FROM THE PROTOTYPE-III HAND-HELD MULTIDOSE RESPIMAT NEBULIZER

A novel pocket-sized multidose nebuliser device (Respimat, Boehringer Ingelheim) has been developed for the delivery of asthma medications. The lung and oropharyngeal deposition patterns of an aqueous fenoterol formulation delivered from a prototype III Respimat equipped with two different nozzles (C11 and C16a) have been measured in 10 healthy vol unteers using the technique of gamma scintigraphy. The results were co mpared with those obtained with the same dose (100 mu g) fenoterol (Be rotec 100, Boehringer Ingelheim) delivered via a pressurised metered d ose inhaler (MDI). Mean (+/-S.D.) whole lung deposition from the Respi mat C16a nozzle (31.1+/-10.3% of the metered dose) was significantly g reater than that from either the Respimat C11 nozzle (14.2+/-5.5%) or the MDI (14.3+/-8.0%). Oropharyngeal deposition was significantly less for the Respimat C16a nozzle (mean 53.7%) than for both the Respimat CII nozzle and the MDI (means 79.4 and 71.3% respectively). The Respim at could be a feasible alternative to MDIs and to powder inhalers for delivery of asthma medications.