Agglomerated vesicle technology: a new class of particles for controlled and modulated pulmonary drug delivery.

A new class of pulmonary delivery particles is described. These particles consist of multimicron sized chemically linked agglomerates of core nanoparticles. The links between the nanoparticles can be either permanent (e.g. carbonyl) or cleavable (e.g. disulfide or ester). Complex agglomerate structures can be achieved by scheduling the application of linker agents. The release rate of drugs from the assembly can be modulated by controlling the extent of cleavage of the links. One envisions the structure of the agglomerate during cleavage being controlled by the location of the permanent and cleavable links in the agglomerate. Data on the release of ciprofloxacin from these agglomerates in vitro are presented.