Polymer Applications in Pulmonary Drug Delivery

Polymers are repeated structural units of one or more monomeric units. Several polymers have been investigated preclinically in vitro and in vivo in animals to evaluate their use in pulmonary drug delivery. The major concern associated with the use of polymeric systems for pulmonary drug delivery is their safety, biocompatibility, stability, and clearance. A detailed understanding of their structure, physicochemical properties, deposition pattern in lungs, and their fate in lungs is required for successful delivery of therapeutics to lungs and thus for better clinical outcomes. This chapter introduces polymers used in pulmonary drug delivery, administered in the form of aerosol, nebulizer, or dry powder. The structure, physicochemical properties, advantages, and limitations of various classes of natural and synthetic polymers intended for pulmonary delivery of therapeutics are discussed. Furthermore, the current challenges in the use of polymers for pulmonary administration have been addressed. The information provided in this chapter can be applied in product development to assist researchers introspect over current caveats in polymeric drug delivery systems and enhance their scope for clinical studies.