Development of an Aerosolized Surfactant for RDS: Technical Challenges and Developmental Aspects

The aerosolized application of surfactants has been explored in neonatal indications, such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and adult indications, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the practical application has been limited by many technical difficulties related to aerosol creation (foaming, low output rate) or inactivation of surfactant. To date, no aerosolized surfactant has been carried through preclinical and clinical development. Using the example of developing lucinactant (“KL4-surfactant“) for inhalation (Aerosurf™) for RDS, the developmental…