Aptar Pharma and Macquarie University Launch Research Program to Advance Inhaled Biologic Delivery
Aptar Pharma, a global provider of drug delivery, dosing and protection technologies and services, has announced a new research collaboration with Macquarie University in Australia to investigate technologies and formulation strategies for the pulmonary delivery of biologic medicines.
The three-year collaboration is being conducted through an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project and is titled “Unlocking the Potential of Dry Powder Carriers for Biologic Applications” (ARC LP250100089). The program brings together academic research from Macquarie University and Aptar Pharma’s expertise in inhalation science, pharmaceutical development and drug delivery technology.
The research will focus on understanding how different dry powder formulation characteristics affect aerosol performance and device behavior when used with Aptar Pharma’s Orbital™ dry powder inhaler (DPI) platform. The work is expected to generate data that could help researchers better understand the relationship between formulation design, aerosol generation and pulmonary delivery.
The collaboration comes as Aptar pharmaceutical developers increasingly investigate inhalation as a potential route for administering biologic medicines. While biologics have transformed the treatment of numerous diseases, their size, complexity and sensitivity can make conventional drug delivery approaches challenging. Delivering these molecules through the lungs introduces additional formulation and device requirements that must be addressed during development.
Research Focuses on High-Payload Dry Powder Delivery
A central component of the project is Aptar Pharma’s Orbital™ dry powder inhaler platform, which is designed to support the administration of high-payload dry powder formulations.
The research team will examine how different formulation variables influence aerosol behavior when formulations are delivered through the Orbital platform. The goal is to develop a clearer understanding of how formulation characteristics interact with the inhaler and influence the resulting aerosol.
This relationship is particularly important for biologic medicines, which may require relatively high doses compared with conventional small-molecule inhaled drugs. Developers must consider not only how much active Aptar pharmaceutical ingredient can be incorporated into a formulation, but also whether the resulting powder can be dispersed effectively and delivered to the intended region of the respiratory tract.
The project will investigate several approaches to dry powder formulation, including engineered, blended and combined formulations. Researchers will assess how these different approaches influence characteristics relevant to aerosol generation and device performance.
The resulting information could provide a scientific foundation for future development of inhaled biologic formulations and inhalation systems.
Addressing Challenges in Inhaled Biologics
Pulmonary drug delivery has long been explored as a way to administer medicines directly to the respiratory system. For biologic therapies, the approach could offer opportunities for localized treatment as well as systemic delivery, depending on the molecule, formulation and target indication.
However, biologics can present formulation challenges that differ substantially from those associated with traditional small-molecule drugs. Proteins and other complex molecules may be sensitive to physical and chemical stresses, while their larger molecular structures can affect powder formation, stability and aerosolization.
For a dry powder inhalation product, the formulation must be engineered so that it can be stored appropriately, maintain the integrity of the active ingredient and generate an aerosol with characteristics suitable for pulmonary administration.
Excipients may also play an important role. Some biologic formulations may require specialized carrier or excipient systems to achieve suitable stability and powder properties while maintaining the performance required for inhalation.
The Aptar Pharma-Macquarie University program is designed to investigate these issues systematically, with an emphasis on understanding how formulation characteristics influence aerosol performance when combined with a high-payload inhalation platform.
Combining Academic and Industry Expertise
The ARC Linkage Project provides a framework for collaboration between university researchers and industry partners. In this case, the program combines Macquarie University’s research capabilities in respiratory science with Aptar Pharma’s experience in inhalation technology and pharmaceutical drug delivery.
The collaboration is intended to bridge fundamental research and practical pharmaceutical development. By studying formulation and aerosol behavior under controlled conditions while incorporating the capabilities of an established inhalation platform, researchers can generate data that may have applications beyond the immediate research program.
Guillaume Brouet, Vice President, Scientific Affairs at Aptar Pharma, said the collaboration addresses challenges associated with converting the potential of biologic medicines into effective inhaled therapies.
“Biologic medicines represent a promising area of pharmaceutical development, yet significant challenges remain in translating their potential into effective inhaled therapies,” Brouet said.
He added that combining academic and industry expertise could advance scientific understanding of high-dose dry powder delivery and contribute to the development of future inhaled biologic medicines.
The project therefore reflects an approach in which pharmaceutical technology and academic research are developed together rather than independently.
Investigating Engineered and Blended Formulations
One of the research areas will involve evaluating engineered, blended and combined dry powder formulations.
Dry powder inhalation formulations can be developed using different manufacturing and formulation strategies, each of which can influence particle characteristics, powder flow, dispersion and aerosol performance. For biologics, these properties must also be considered alongside the need to preserve the integrity and activity of the therapeutic molecule.
By comparing multiple formulation approaches, the research team expects to build a more detailed understanding of which characteristics are associated with successful aerosol generation and delivery through the Orbital platform.
The project will examine formulation variables in relation to aerosol behavior and device performance. This could help researchers identify relationships that may not be apparent when formulation development and device development are evaluated separately.
Understanding these interactions is an important part of inhalation product development because the performance of an inhaled medicine depends on both the properties of the powder and the way the delivery device disperses it.
Computational Fluid Dynamics to Provide Additional Insights
Another important component of the project will be the development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models.
CFD is a computational approach used to simulate fluid and particle movement. In inhalation research, such models can help researchers examine how air and aerosol particles behave within an inhalation system and potentially provide insight into particle transport.
The data generated during the formulation and aerosol studies will support development of CFD models designed to provide additional understanding of aerosol behavior and particle movement.
By combining experimental research with computational modeling, the project aims to create a more comprehensive picture of how formulation and device characteristics interact.
The models could ultimately support future research into dry powder formulation design and inhalation system performance. They may also help researchers investigate factors that influence aerosol transport without relying solely on experimental testing.
For pharmaceutical developers, improved modeling could potentially complement laboratory studies during formulation and device development, although additional validation would be required before computational tools could be used for specific development or regulatory purposes.
Importance of High-Payload Inhalation Platforms
The ability to deliver relatively large quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredients is an important consideration in the development of inhaled biologics.
Traditional dry powder inhalers have often been associated with relatively low-dose formulations, but some biologic medicines may require higher payloads. This creates a need for delivery platforms capable of dispersing larger quantities of powder while maintaining appropriate aerosol characteristics.
Aptar Pharma’s Orbital platform is being used in the project specifically in the context of high-payload dry powder delivery.
The research could therefore provide insight into how formulation strategies can be adapted for inhalation systems intended to handle higher powder loads.
The work is not limited to assessing the inhaler in isolation. Instead, the project will investigate the interaction between formulation properties and device performance, reflecting the combination-product nature of many inhaled medicines.
Supporting Future Inhaled Therapy Development
The growing interest in inhaled biologics has created opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to explore alternative routes of administration for complex medicines. However, moving an inhaled biologic from laboratory research toward a viable pharmaceutical product requires advances in formulation science, aerosol engineering, device technology and manufacturing.
The Aptar Pharma and Macquarie University collaboration is positioned within this broader research effort.
Professor Daniela Traini, PhD, Professor of Respiratory Science at Macquarie University, said the ARC Linkage Program is intended to support collaborations that connect scientific research with practical applications.
“The ARC Linkage Program supports collaborations that translate scientific excellence into real-world impact,” Traini said.
She said the project brings together university researchers and industry specialists to investigate important questions related to dry powder biologic delivery and contribute to the future development of inhaled therapies.
The three-year research program is expected to generate new experimental data on dry powder formulations, aerosol behavior and device performance. The accompanying CFD work will add a computational component to the research and could provide further insight into the mechanisms underlying aerosol generation and particle transport.
Potential Implications for Biologic Drug Delivery
The research could have implications for the broader development of inhaled biologic medicines, particularly as drug developers investigate delivery technologies capable of accommodating complex molecules and higher payloads.
For pharmaceutical companies, successful pulmonary delivery depends on more than the biological activity of the therapeutic molecule. Developers must establish that the molecule can be formulated into a suitable dosage form, that the formulation remains stable, and that the delivery device can generate a reproducible aerosol.
The project’s emphasis on formulation-device interactions addresses this intersection directly.
By evaluating engineered, blended and combined powders with the Orbital platform, researchers will be able to examine how different formulation properties affect aerosol performance. The resulting information could inform future development strategies for biologic dry powders and other high-payload inhaled medicines.
The CFD modeling component may further contribute by providing a way to investigate particle transport and aerosol behavior from a computational perspective.
Ultimately, the Aptar Pharma-Macquarie University collaboration represents a research effort focused on addressing some of the technical barriers associated with pulmonary delivery of biologic medicines.
As the pharmaceutical industry continues to expand the use of complex biologics, drug delivery technologies capable of supporting alternative administration routes will remain an important area of research. The ARC Linkage Project provides a structured three-year program through which academic scientists and industry specialists can examine the formulation and device factors that influence dry powder delivery.
Through its focus on high-payload formulations, aerosol performance and computational modeling, the program is expected to generate scientific insights that could contribute to the next generation of inhaled biologic delivery systems. The research also highlights the increasing importance of combining formulation science with device engineering when developing advanced pulmonary drug delivery technologies.
About Macquarie University
Macquarie University is recognised globally for its pre-eminence in key research disciplines, as well as producing graduates who are among the most sought-after professionals in the world. Since its foundation in 1964, Macquarie has aspired to be a different type of university, fostering collaboration between students, academics, industry and society. Located in Sydney’s Macquarie Park Innovation District, the University provides world-class facilities and significant opportunities for research, innovation and commercial partnerships, advancing research that addresses global challenges and delivers real-world impact. For more information, visit https://www.mq.edu.au/faculty-of-medicine-health-and-human-sciences.
About Aptar Pharma
Aptar Pharma is part of AptarGroup, Inc., a global leader in drug and consumer product dosing, dispensing and protection technologies. Aptar serves a number of attractive end markets including pharmaceutical, beauty, food, beverage, personal care and home care. Using market expertise, proprietary design, engineering and science to create innovative solutions for many of the world’s leading brands, Aptar in turn makes a meaningful difference in the lives, looks, health and homes of millions of patients and consumers around the world. Aptar is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois and has over 13,000 dedicated employees in 20 countries.