Inhalation of vaccines and antiviral drugs to fight respiratory virus infections: Reasons to prioritize the pulmonary route of administration

Rick Heida, Henderik W Frijlink, Wouter L J Hinrichs*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)
53 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Many of the current pandemic threats are caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract. Remarkably though, the majority of vaccines and antiviral drugs are administered via alternative routes. In this perspective, we argue that the pulmonary route of administration deserves more attention in the search for novel therapeutic strategies against respiratory virus infections. Firstly, vaccines administered at the viral portal of entry can induce a broader immune response, employing the mucosal arm of the immune system; secondly, direct administration of antiviral drugs at the target site leads to superior bioavailability, enabling lower dosing and reducing the chance of side effects. We further elaborate on why the pulmonary route may induce a superior effect compared to the intranasal route of administration and provide reasons why dry powder formulations for inhalation have significant advantages over standard liquid formulations.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere0129523
Number of pages8
JournalmBio
Volume14
Issue number5
Early online date28-Sept-2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

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