The size of the meloxicam particles suspended in aqueous mannitol solution containing different additives was reduced by high-pressure homogenization. Dry powders were produced from the microsuspensions by a co-spray-drying technique. Morphological, structural and in vitro dissolution studies were presented. The in vitro aerosol performance was tested by using the multistage Next Generation Impactor.
It was found that polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinylpyrrolidone, promoted the presence of individual microcomposites by decreasing the aggregation tendency. L-leucine improved the fine particle fraction content of the samples. The co-spray-dried mannitol-based formulations containing the additives released 90 % of the meloxicam by dissolution in 5 min. Aerodynamic assessment showed the fine particle fraction was >53 % and the mass median aerodynamic diameter was <3.52 ¦Ìm. This study indicated that meloxicam microcomposites prepared according to the described procedure are suitable for pulmonary local anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic therapy.