Inhaled Medicines: Past, Present and Future

Dear Colleagues,

Inhaled medicines have undergone a remarkable transformation—from ancient herbal smokes to modern inhalers delivering targeted therapies with high precision. This route of administration has revolutionized the management of pulmonary diseases such as asthma, COPD, and cystic fibrosis, offering rapid onset, reduced systemic exposure, and enhanced patient compliance. Today, as the global burden of respiratory illness continues to rise due to environmental pollution, smoking, occupational hazards, and emerging pathogens, inhalation therapy is more relevant than ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the utility of inhaled formulations—not only for local antiviral action, but also for the systemic delivery of repurposed and novel therapeutics. Inhaled vaccines and prophylactics are now at the forefront of infectious disease preparedness. Advances in particle engineering, nanotechnology, and smart inhaler systems have also opened new avenues for delivering biologics, peptides, and gene therapies via the lungs, expanding the potential of inhaled therapies beyond traditional respiratory indications.

This Special Issue invites cutting-edge original research, comprehensive reviews, and translational perspectives on inhaled drug delivery across past achievements, current innovations, and future directions. We welcome contributions on device development, formulation strategies, regulatory considerations, PK/PD modeling, and clinical applications in both common and rare diseases. Of particular interest are studies exploring the use of inhaled therapies for systemic diseases, innovations in drug–device combinations, and AI-enabled inhalation platforms.

We encourage researchers, clinicians, and industry scientists to submit their work and help shape the future of inhalation science. Together, let us explore how inhaled medicines can redefine therapeutic paradigms.

Dr. Vivek Gupta
Guest Editor

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