Spray drying TB vaccines for pulmonary administration.
BACKGROUND
New developments in materials science provide innovative technologies that allow mucosal immunization against tuberculosis. Recent studies report that spray-drying Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) allows efficient aerosol delivery of TB vaccines to the lung.


OBJECTIVE
To consider powder formulation of BCG for inhalation by spray-drying and its potential application to other vaccines given the unique challenges in the process, formulation and delivery.


METHODS
Description of current advances in spray-drying and aerosol delivery, and its application to preparation of BCG TB vaccine for inhalation. Special consideration is given to physical properties, viability, stability and delivery aspects.


CONCLUSIONS
Spray-drying generates powders with excellent dispersion qualities suitable for targeted delivery to the deep lung. TB vaccine for inhalation prepared by spray-drying is feasible, low-cost and pharmaceutically scaleable.
Fourie
P B
PB
Chief Scientific Officer Medicine in Need (Mend), MRC Building, PO Box 12660, Queenswood, 0121 Pretoria, South Africa. bfourie@medicineinneed.org
Germishuizen
W A
WA
Wong
Y-L
YL
Edwards
D A
DA
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000336:Aerosols; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000737:chemistry*; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D003890:Desiccation; D004355:Drug Stability; D004356:Drug Storage; D006801:Humans; D010316:Particle Size; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000336:Aerosols; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines; D014612:Vaccines