In vitro inhalation behaviour and therapeutical response of salbutamol particles administered from two metered dose aerosols

In this study the particle size, as well as the in vitro deposition and the immediate bronchodilating effect on asthmatic patients, of two salbutamol inhalation aerosol preparations (Ventoline, Glaxo, UK, and salbutamol inhalation aerosol, Orion Pharmaceutica, Finland) were compared. The in vitro deposition study was performed using the modified Sierra Andersen cascade impactor. The bronchodilating effect of inhaled aerosol doses were monitored by measuring peak expiratory flow (PEF) values. In the clinical study, the pulse and blood pressure of the patients, as well as the side effects, were also recorded. Due to the anatomy and physiology of human lungs, the accepted optimum size for inhaled drug particles is under 5 microns, and preferably under 2 microns. Over 95% of the drug particles in both aerosol preparations were under 5 microns. 30% of the salbutamol particles in the Ventoline inhalation aerosol were under 2 microns, whereas in Orion salbutamol aerosol 14% of the drug particles were under 2 microns. Respectively 23% of Ventoline and 19% of the Orion salbutamol preparation penetrated into the therapeutically most significant imitated alveolar stages of the modified cascade impactor. Both salbutamol aerosols showed a clear clinical efficacy in the bronchodilating test. In addition, no significant differences existed in the bronchodilating effect of these inhalation aerosols. In conclusion, although there seemed to be a slight difference in the particle size distribution and in the in vitro inhalation behaviour, this variation did not have any effect on the clinical response.