Inhaled formulations for bacterial pneumonia: Strategies and advances in drug delivery

Inhaled formulations have garnered significant interest in the treatment of bacterial pneumonia, as they deliver the drug directly to the site of infection in the lungs, providing high local drug concentrations that are typically unattainable with oral or intravenous therapies. Technologies for inhalation formulations that enable efficient sterilization, effective nebulization, maximized lung deposition, and reduced macrophage uptake are critical for successful inhaled drug delivery. Consequently, formulation strategies for inhalation drug delivery aimed at treating bacterial pneumonia are of paramount importance, encompassing factors such as the selection of bactericidal agents, drug carriers, aerodynamic diameter of particles, and particle morphology. The appropriate selection of formulation strategies is essential to overcoming the barriers of the respiratory tract, reaching the infected sites, releasing the bactericides, and penetrating deep into the biofilm to achieve effective eradication of bacterial pneumonia. This paper aims to classify recent inhaled preparations for bacterial pneumonia and to provide insights and perspectives for the development of novel inhaled delivery formulations targeting this condition.